


Shinji/Stay Night: A Zouken's Feel Route CYOA

by OneTrueEmiya



Series: The Wakameverse [1]
Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Rated M for Matou, Wakame, Wakameverse, Worms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 03:04:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 68
Words: 56,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6638737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneTrueEmiya/pseuds/OneTrueEmiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are Matou Shinji, king of worms and wakame. You have one fake command seal, a weakened Servant, formalcraft that can summon some slow shadow blades, a useless sister and a creepy grandpa. You have to kill all the other Masters and Servants and win the Grail War. </p><p>More specifically, can you even survive? Something is very very wrong with this Grail War, but it doesn't matter...right? So long as you can survive and get a harem along the way, even if the world burns, Matou Shinji wins. Discard all your Shirou hero instincts, start thinking like a slimeball. Are you ready for the ultimate challenge?</p><p>A Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) story with a VN-esque style, wherein readers can vote for what they believe to be the best (or worst) choice. </p><p>Rated M for Matou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Shinji/Stay Night!

**Welcome to Shinji/Stay Night!**

**Disclaimer: Here be spoilers. This "fanfic" will contain spoilers for most Type-Moon works. If you are not familiar with Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night, this story may spoil major plot points and lessen your enjoyment of the franchise in general.**

**I do not own wakame. Wakame owns me.**

** **

**For new readers:**

I would like to say a few words before we start. [This CYOA originates from a troll thread of sorts on MyAnimeList](http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1453863&show=0), and then through a mutation even Shinji would be proud of, it became this. As such, events do not start from the beginning of the War; rather, we will begin in the middle of Day 5. Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy watching Matou Shinji walk into hell. And when you reach the latest chapter, please contribute to his pain by voting for the best (or worst) choice available~

In summary, before the events of this fic:

Rider is killed by some priest.

You ally with Gilgamesh.

You have a lewd dream about Gilgamesh.

You are captured by Caster.

Caster offers to let you in on her plans.

Choice selected: Team Matou will carry on with the HGW as per usual.

 

**For the MAL people:**

Hello again everyone! Sorry for having to migrate this over here, but the mods have spoken, and the wakame has been expelled. If you're still interested in dishing out some zip or watching Shinji flail around, please join Matou-kun once more on this (not so) epic journey of self-discovery! You'll find the comment button at the bottom of the page, where you can continue to shittalk Kariya-kun and vote for yet another dojo. I'll tally up the votes just like back on MAL. If you've been up to date in the original MAL thread, just head straight to Chapter 64! Well then, have fun!

 

* * *

 

**IF YOU HAVE NOT REACHED THE LATEST CHAPTER, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE TOP AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW.**

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Servant Status Screens**

**Saber**

 

**Lancer**

 

**Archer**

 

**Assassin**

**Berserker**

**Gilgamesh**


	2. Prologue

_A quaint subforum._   
_A small thread._   
_Take those away from a man, and he shall stand up._

-Chapter 7, _He Who Stands Above All_ by Lord El-Melloi II

 

**PROLOGUE**


	3. Day 5: Mighty Master Matou

Option 2 wins.  
  
With that decided, you walk over to your Servant's side, where he is shooting blades at Kuzuki and making him dance. You ask how you can help your Servant, and he hands you [Dáinsleif](http://typemoon.wikia.com/wiki/Dainsleif#Dainsleif), a sword you don't recognise.

 

 

So since your Servant is busy playing fighting Kuzuki, you're left with the mature-looking woman in the shady hood.   
  
Blowing despair.  
A strong wind that's going faster than a hundred meters per second.  
A fierce wind that doesn't allow the existence of living things, let alone allow one to stand up.  
Therefore, it's not a wind.  
It's steel, and your body's crushed by the pressure.  
  
Your vision fades away.  
Within it…  
  
You see an unbelievable image.  
  
" Ah."  
  
The blue knight takes no notice of you.  
Set in a stern expression, his face is slightly turned away, showing no interest in you as the wind rushes to engulf you.  
  
For him, this result was expected.  
Matou Shinji cannot stand against this wind.  
"-Can you keep up with me?"  
  
  
Your vision fires up.  
You force as much heat as you can into your body.  
"-it's not 'can you keep up with me'"  
  
"You keep up with me!"  
  
You pass the blue figure with all your might.  
  
You step up onto the ground.  
The wind's died down  
There's about thirty meters to the woman.  
It'll take her less than three seconds to close this distance.  
Therefore.  
The outcome of this battle will be decided in the next three seconds.  
  
You...  
  
1\. surrender  
2\. use your secret, ultimate move, which could destroy your body, but you must protect your ambitions...!  
  



	4. Day 5, Bad End 1, Two And A Half Mongrels

Option 1 wins.  


Sword in hand, you declare that you wish to surrender. Like that, the courtyard grows quiet. Everyone turns to face you. Your Servant has an unreadable expression on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry, but the most intelligent decision is to sur-urk"  
  
Before you can finish, you find a sword sticking out of your stomach. You grasp it with trembling hands, and slowly turn to face your Servant.  
  
"Foolish mongrel, you disgrace my name by surrendering like this. Now, drown in your worms and die."  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	5. Day 5, Kariya's Pit 1

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine?  
  
Kariya: An hour of gaming a day, for all you who died so easily, this is the assistance corner that solves all your problems in a flash, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: So. Why have you died? Answer, senior student!  
  
???: **AAAARRRRTHHHHAAAAAA...**  
  
Kariya: Exactly. You chose to surrender. Do you know why this is wrong?  
  
???: **AAAARRRRTHHHHAAAAAA...!!**  
  
Kariya: That is exactly right. In other words, broken samurai code, seppuku if you turn your back. From now on, please choose cowardly choices like this as you'll die a lot. Senior student, what is the counter-measure this time?  
  
???:   
  
Kariya: Osu! That's right, going back to the previous choice! Well then, that's it for this time! I shall wait for you at the next practice!


	6. Day 5, CASTOFF

**DAY 5  
ZOUKEN'S FEEL**  
  
You...  
  
1\. surrender  
**2\. use your secret, ultimate move, which could destroy your body, but you must protect your ambitions...!**  
  
Your mind is clear.  
  
You know the scope of your power.  
  
Dashing using well-honed leg muscles from vigorous bedroom activities.  
  
Punching from the various spars against your sister.  
  
A formalcraft utilising magic theories to summon shadow blades.  
  
A Noble Phantasm that inverts the world engraved on your soul, the embodiment of the King's world using the theory of magic, the World's Jewels.  
  
Noble Phantasm "Unstoppable Harem Worms" isn't usable. ∆¬§∞•ª¢'s world and yours are different. You can't reproduce it.  
  
You can only reproduce what Matou Shinji has learnt, or the Noble Phantasms you have seen. If you're to use a Noble Phantasm, you have to search within "Unstoppable Harem Worms" for the Noble Phantasm best suited for the situation and reproduce it.  
  
But be warned.  
  
Harem Worms is a two-edged sword.  
  
If you use it once -  
  
  
  
"..."  
You hold my breath and put all my magical energy into your limb.  
You only need to understand the weapons you can use.  
You already know the precautions.  
You have to move forward.  
  
  
  
  
  
"-I am the worm of my pit."  
You stare at it.  
You see through her cloak.  
You open your left hand and grasp the imaginary handle of the weapon that has yet to exist.  
An extraordinary weight.  
Matou Shinji cannot handle this giant weapon.  
But _he_ can definitely do so.  
  
  
  
The lady notices your magical energy. She turns to you and begins to speed towards you.  
The speeding woman won't stop with one blow, and normal worms are useless against her.  
Worming won't do the trick.  
You can't beat that giant unless you use Harem Worms past your limits.  
Therefore-  
  
"-Trigger, off."  
  
One in your head.  
You use all (imaginary) circuits in your head and smash it in one blow-!  
  
Two seconds.  
  
She's right before you. She raises her arm.  
  
Torrent and swirling vigour.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Set - **M.A.T.O.U. Castoff!** "  
  



	7. Day 5, Golden King

The whole world freezes. For a moment, every combatant turns to you and stares in shock as magical energy pours into the surroundings, your golden glow bathing the world in light. If your Servant is like the Sun, you are like a supernova, your very presence gifting the world with a warm embrace.  
  
...or maybe it's just your imagination.  
  
But nonetheless, the combatants stop. They are unable to move from your sheer audacity. Kuzuki lowers his fists as his emotionless eyes challenge your confident ones. Your Servant merely laughs and puts his hands together, making a single, resounding clap of appreciation. Caster slowly backs away from you.  
  
"Are you sane, boy?"  
  
You acknowledge her presence by thrusting further forward, the glow ever brighter.   
  
"Ahaha, it seems I have misjudged you, boy. I thought you to be a worm, but you...you are a king among worms!"  
  
Your Servant, however, seems to appreciate your show of power. He raises his arm once, as tens, then hundreds, of swords appear in mid-air, bathing the courtyard in a golden glow.   
  
  
  
"Very well. I, Gilgamesh, shall show you what being a king truly means!"  
  
  
  
The rest is history.  
  
  
 **As you return victorious from your adventures with your companion, you realise that Grandpa Zouken may be averse to seeing you (a naked young boy) bringing home your Servant (a grown male with a predatory grin). So you devise plans to prevent misunderstandings from happening. You...**  
  
 **1\. Explain that Gilgamesh is your long-lost brother, Matou Giru**  
 **2\. Put the blame on Sakura. Say she lost Rider and you (as a honourable gentleman) made a contract with a new Servant to make up for her mistakes.**  
 **3\. Kill Zouken.**


	8. Day 5, Interlude 5-1 Orphanage

**Interlude 5-1  
Zouken's Feel**  
  
_BGM: Whirlpool of Worms 2_  
  
Deep under the Church in Fuyuki is a basement not many know about. Within it, a dozen stone structures protrude from the stifling darkness, each containing a corpse that should not live. And yet, as the darkness continue to prevail, so do their moans. A solitary figure stands amongst the cacophony, a figure that should not exist in this world.  
  
He is a Heroic Spirit, a being that transcends humans and legends. He is the symbol of what humans could become, and what some could only dream to be. His eyes reflect nothing, his predatory gaze unwavering despite the distressing noises around him, but his posture reflects his boredom.  
  
He leans against a coffin-like structure, absentmindedly humming a song he once knew of in a past life. In his hand lies his weapon of choice, a noble black weapon that represents all that he was. He had once been in this very room, he recalled, but back then he was but a naive boy, who believed in his Servant as much as his Servant believed in him. And what was the end they received?  
  
Destruction. Destruction of his ideal, of his very being. He hates his past self and the ideals he once harboured. Those were what that had led him onto his path of despair, the path of a Counter Guardian.  
  
Guardians are not ones that protect the people. They are only cleaners. They are definitely not what he had wished to become.  
  
Footsteps from above puncture the darkness. Almost as if sensing something, the corpses moan even louder, their voices echoing across the basement. The footsteps grow louder, and Kotomine Kirei descends from above.  
  
  
  
Upon seeing his Servant, he lets out a "hoh" and grins savagely.  
  
"Come, it's time we make our move."  
  
The Servant merely grunts in response and dematerialises, his voice heard only in Kirei's mind.  
  
"So, we're targeting the girl first?"  
  
"That's right," Kirei replies with mirth, his face lighting up, as if he has just received his first Christmas present.  
  
"That's right, it's our turn now, Archer."  
  
WISEUP!

 

 


	9. Day 5, A New Beginning (NEAR/FAR SIDE CHOICE)

**Day 5  
Zouken's Feel**  
  
When you and Gilgamesh walk through the front gate of the Matou mansion, you are greeted by a rather concerned Sakura. She asks where you have been all night, all the time eying your Servant with both distrust and fright.  
  
Naturally, you aren't pleased that she is daring to question you.  
  
As you are about to raise your arm and slap her, your grandfather appears by the front door, his presence attracting the attention of everyone despite his minute figure. His eyes sweeps across you as if you were nothing, acknowledging Sakura by focusing on her for half a second, before finally landing on the golden presence behind you.  
  
"Sakura, that's enough. Shinji, come in. It's cold out there. You too, Servant," Zouken rasps as he turns around and hobbles into the living room.  
  
The three of you follow him. As you walk in, you consider how to deal with the situation. No doubt, Zouken would be livid if he were to know that you had lost Rider, but he would probably live with you getting a replacement. And what a replacement at that! You don't know much about mythology, but "Gilgamesh" sounds like a cool name a hero would have.  
  
No doubt this hero had once been a just and worthy king, and his personality would be like King Arthur's: regal, honourable and lawful. Nothing like the filth that was Rider, who spread her legs as soon as the words "harm Sakura" were even mentioned.  
  
Anyway. So, you come up with a brilliant idea. Why not pin the blame on Sakura, and say that you made a new contract to help her make amends? This would take away your losses and let Zouken know of how capable you can be. You glance behind you, meeting Sakura's eyes for a moment before she turns away sharply.  
  
Disgusting.  
  
Your mind made up, you stride into the living room, where upon you are greeted with the sight of Zouken sitting in your favourite chair.  
  
  
  
The thought of wiping the chair with antiseptics is pushed to the back of your mind as you step forward and raise your arms theatrically.  
  
"Jii-san, may I introduce my new Servant to you, the one and only Gilgamesh, his power unrivalled and his...h-his power unstoppable," you declare, your voice tinged with a touch of worry. Gilgamesh stands beside you, nodding in response. Unlike your rigid posture, he has his hands in his pockets, and looks completely at ease even with a deadly figure across the room.  
  
Zouken does not acknowledge your theatrics, his question straight to the point,"What happened to your previous Servant, Rider?  
  
"Did you...perchance...lose her?" As he spoke, he leaned forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes.  
  
You suppress a fear that rose from your soul, a justified reaction to a monster that has lived for centuries.  
  
"I would never disgrace the Matou family like that, Jii-san! But...I...I can't tell..." You drift off deliberately as you glance quickly at Sakura.  
  
Zouken thumps his cane once. "Speak, boy. What is the matter with you? I have no time to waste on your uselessness."  
  
A touch of anger from the word 'useless'. It is an old grudge, but now is not the time to act.  
  
"Sorry. I just...I just want to protect Sakura," you mutter, just loud enough for all parties to hear it.  
  
Sakura lets out a gasp, and Zouken releases you from his stare. In turn, your "sister" is now under his powerful gaze.  
  
"Nii-san, w-what are y-"  
  
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I can't do this. Jii-san is right, we have to admit to our own mistakes. But please, Jii-san, please don't punish her! I contracted a new Servant! He's far more powerful than Rider too!"  
  
  
  
Sakura can only look helplessly at you, her eyes full of despair and acceptance.  
  
Naturally.  
  
Zouken does not speak for a moment. He sits on the sofa, his eyes drilling into yours as you engage a demon in a battle of wits. There is absolute silence.  
  
You have placed everything on the line for this to work; your very life will depend on his next decision.  
  
He stands up and proceeds to leave the room. As he does so, he rasps, "Good job, Shinji. Sakura, come with me. It appears your training is insufficient."  
  
You smirk and bask in your victory. Sakura trails after Zouken, her eyes unfocused and her breathing erratic.  
  
As the two leave the room, you sigh in relief.  
  
And then you laugh. You laugh with the knowledge that you now have the power that not even your Grandfather has. You laugh as you know what fate Sakura will face. You laugh as you realise you have finally shown the world what Matou Shinji could and would do for his future.  
  
  
  
Your Servant's grin grows ever larger, and his red eyes grow ever sharper.  
  
"Matou Shinji. You are a very, very interesting person. A worm you may be, but a mongrel you are not. For entertaining me so well tonight, I shall grant you one boon."  
  
**You are given two choices, and this will lock you onto the sub-route you will be on:  
1\. Gilgamesh will leave you, BUT give you a single weapon from the GoB. (Far Side)  
2\. Gilgamesh will kill both Matou Zouken and Matou Sakura, leaving you as the rightful heir of the Matou family, and help you win the Grail War. (Near Side)**  
  
Near Side will explore the Grail War and how Shinji will grow into his true potential. (including explaining why Archer is siding with Kirei)  
  
Far Side will explore Sakura and Zouken, and the Matou Household.  
  
Enjoy  >:)


	10. Faker Arc

_"...a defeated Zolgen Makiri is not a dead Zolgen Makiri...while his body may fall, his will perseveres...I am but a stepping stone for such a great man...he shall become a hero to all, an ally of justice."_

-Valentin Dementyev (1530-1561), Russian-born Sealing Designate, slain by Zolgen Makiri

 

 

**NEAR SIDE**

**FAKER ARC**

** **


	11. Day 6, Knock Knock Grandpa

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**  
  
You wake up the next morning after a good night's dream.  
  


  
  
Now that you are all refreshed, you recall last night's conversation with your Servant.  
  
 _"Matou Shinji. You are a very, very interesting person. A worm you may be, but a mongrel you are not. For entertaining me so well tonight, I shall grant you one boon.  
  
"...I see. So you've chosen my assistance in this war. Very well then, Shinji. Entertain me more and I shall deliver the accursed device into your hands."_  
  
He was very confident, almost absolutely sure that they would win.  
  
And you share the same sentiment. After all, you had outwitted both your "sister" and your Grandfather with ease, putting you in a position of sheer power. And today, you would only grow stronger...  
  
 _"What shall we do first you ask? Why, if we are to work together, we must get rid of any mongrels who dare to interfere, starting with that filthy worm and that girl."_  
  
Your Servant had all but declared war on Matou Zouken, and you are keen to help. You have been living under Zouken's thumb for seventeen years, a life that would barely be worth living, a life that is hell compared to the luxury and freedom Tohsaka and Emiya has. It is a hellish life worse than Sakura's, and no one would understand the pain you experienced.  
  
No one but this Servant Gilgamesh, it seems.   
  
You walk downstairs to the kitchen, where you see that Sakura is, once again, missing.   
  
"Tch, I should beat her when she comes back from Emiya's," you growl with annoyance.  
  
It is ridiculous that even on a Saturday, she would head over to his house and cook breakfast for him. Why, she had much more important duties, such as making breakfast for her brother...!  
  
As you tap your feet impatiently on the floor, you hear the front door click open. Sakura walks into the house with a serene smile on her face, almost as if she had witnessed Avalon...until she notices you. In an instant, the smile is gone, the light in her eyes vanish, and her radiance disappears without a trace.   
  
She dares not speak, but you notice that she is indignant. Your anger simmers, but you hold back, remembering what your Servant had agreed to do.   
  
"Good morning, Sakura~" you speak with a small smile.  
  
  
  
This immediately puts her on edge, her face showing both worry and confusion.  
  
You casually turn around and turn on the stove, "I'm cooking breakfast today. Can you call Grandfather for me?"  
  
She hesitates for a moment before replying, "Yes, nii-san."  
  
As she is about to leave, she turns around. "Nii-san, is something the matter?"  
  
"Huh?" You reply happily, still facing the stove. "I'm perfectly fine! Now now, run along and call Grandfather. He should still be in the basement. You wouldn't want the food to grow cold now~"  
  
She hesitates again, obviously not comprehending what was going on. But she complies and leaves.   
  
As she enters the basement, your smile breaks into a well-natured, perfectly sane grin.  
  
  
  
"Now then, if you would please do the honours, Gilgamesh..."  
  
Your Servant walks leisurely down the stairs into the living room, his soft laughter reaching your ears.  
  
"Consider it done, Shinji. A King does not usually clean up filth, but I will do so in appreciation of your audacity."  
  
As you are talking to Gilgamesh, you hum your favourite song, "Church on the Hill", taking out a pan from the cupboard.

  
  
You put it onto the stove and heat it up, placing some oil onto it afterwards. Then, you crack three eggs and watch as they slowly consolidate to form three perfect sunny-side-ups.   
  
That is when you hear the first crash. You are slightly startled, but you continue to prepare breakfast. You put the eggs onto a plate, and pour yourself a glass of orange juice. Then you sit down on the sofa in the living room.  
  
As the crashing and inhuman screaming intensifies, you dig into your delicious breakfast. The eggs are sumptuous and full of flavour, and the juice complements it far too well.   
  
The raspy screams continue, now partnered with curses and phrases such as "damn you, Servant". And you look up, concerned.   
  
The eggs lack a certain taste. You walk back into the kitchen and grab some pepper, sprinkling it on your eggs. You take a bite.  
  
"Much better."  
  
Soon, you finish your breakfast, and your Servant finishes his assault. He walks back into the room, not a single hair misplaced, not a single scratch on his clothes.   
  
"Well, I've taken care of the rabble. What will you do now, Shinji?" he asks, his red eyes appraising you, like a demon seeking his next prey.  
  
  
  
You smirk in response.  
  
"Why, it's simple. We-"  
  
 **  
1\. Scout Fuyuki tonight and fight whoever we find.  
2\. Go to Kotomine Church and attack the priest.  
3\. Start off the campaign with the weakest member of the War: Emiya Shirou.**


	12. Day 6, Faker and Faker

  
**Day 6  
** Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
  
Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to be a hero. You used to be friends with him. But that was because he was useful, a blind idiot who would help you without any reason. So what if he were a hapless, magecraft-less participant in the Holy Grail War? What would you do?  
  
Why, that's obvious: start off your glorious campaign by killing him and his Servant. Preferably while gloating over his dead body.  
  
How to infiltrate the enemy base? Just go visit him and ask for a cup of tea. Then stab him. It would be that simple, and the simpleton would never even think twice about letting you into his home.  
  
Before you begin your walk over to the Emiya Household, Gilgamesh gives you a black dagger.  
  
  
  
"This will help keep you alive, Shinji. I refuse to have you die before you finish entertaining me in this War," he scoffs.  
  
You think he's just a big old softie deep inside his heart.  
  
"Why not give me that other sword, Gil? You know, the one I was using last night?" you ask.  
  
He shrugs and replies, "Not until you've outlived your usefulness."  
  
Yeah, he's just a big softie. It's a good thing you swapped Rider for Gilgamesh, it seems things are going according to your plans after all!  
  
Just as you are about to leave, you remember to pick out a new formalcraft book, allowing you to throw shadow blades again. With the book in hand, your preparations are complete and you are once again a competent magi.  
  
You and your Servant proceed to the Emiya Household. You journey to the front gate, whereupon you step in unceremoniously, knowing Emiya wouldn't mind.  
  
  
  
It is surprisingly quiet there. This is a Saturday, however, and Emiya should be at home.  
  
"Emiya," you call out. "It's me, Shinji. I want to have a talk. We sho-"  
  
A disembodied voice echoes across the front yard, cutting you off, "Pra-Shirou! There's a boy with his Servant out here. I shall strike them down immediately."  
  
"Wha-"  
  
You grip your formalcraft book tighter, preparing yourself for battle. Gilgamesh merely tilts his head beside you, almost if he were curious of something.  
  
"Wait! Don't do that, Saber!"  
  
And as expected, your best friend comes running out of the storehouse. Too easy.  
  
"Sorry, Shinji. I was concentrating on doing something just now. Is there anything you need?" he asks.  
  
You give a disarming smile, "No, nothing like that. I just wanted to have a chat with you. We're friends, right?"  
  
Shirou scratches his head, "Well, if you put it that way...you're acting weird, Shinji. Are you all right?"  
  
You get straight to the point, "I'm fine, Emiya. So, where's your Servant?"  
  
Without a prompt from her Master, his Servant materialises in a shower of red petals.  
  
"Proving my supremacy in this battle for my praetor, and gracing the world once more with my beauty! I am Servant Saber~"  
  
  
  
Your reaction to her materialisation is to signal to Gilgamesh that he can kill them both now. But instead of acting, your Servant stares at the red Servant, at first with curiosity.  
  
Then his eyes harden and he speaks softly, "Who are you to impersonate my Saber?"  
  
The red Servant tilts her head in reply, "What do you speak of, gold Servant? I am Saber. There is none that can match my beauty."  
  
"You... **YOU. MONGREL.** "  
  
In a matter of seconds, things have begun to spiral out of control.  
  
The red Saber draws her blade, your Servant summons hundreds of golden portals. You ready your book and your dagger, and Emiya begins to chant something.  
  
Your first real battle has begun.  
  
And next to all of this, a sweet voice sings.  
  
"Go kill him, Berserker~"  
  
WISEUP!

 

  
  
**Your fight against Emiya begins. Things are not going according to plan, but you are Matou Shinji. You can definitely emerge victorious. You have two options at the start of this battle. You-  
**   
1\. Charge Emiya and take him down. He looks weak, and he doesn't know any magecraft, so you can take him easily.  
2\. Stand aside and watch as Gilgamesh tears down your opponent with his blades. 


	13. Day 6, Bad End 2, Projection Mastery

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**  
  
The answer is obvious to you. You are a mage. He is a heroic fool. There is only one winner.  
  
You charge him with all the speed you can muster, drawing the black dagger with slick style, palming it in your right hand. While doing so, you flip your book with your other hand, summoning three shadow blades.  
  
  
  
Emiya easily dodges the blades, as he chants something you can barely hear.  
  
 _"-bone of-"_  
  
It is too easy. You are now right in front of him. By dodging your shadow blades, he has left himself open to your dagger attack! You swing it across his chest in an arc...!  
  
  
  
But just as certain as your attack is, he parries your blade with his own.   
  
You realise that in his hands are twin scimitars, almost as if they were drawn out of thin air.   
  
  
"-You!"  
  
"Haaah!"  
  
He does not give you time to think. He attacks with the black sword first.  
  
  
  
You barely manage to dodge it as it skims your cheek and draws blood. As you ready your dagger to pay him back, you hear a sickening sound.  
  
  
  
  
The white blade in Emiya's other hand slices your head off. As you watch the world turn around you and your vision grows dark, it dawns upon you that perhaps you truly were the weakest Master after all.  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	14. Day 6, Kariya's Pit 2

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine?  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: So. Why have you died this time?   
  
???: You underestimated Sempai.  
  
Kariya: Exactly. While Shirou may not be a good mage, he is miles above you! You’re a weakling, you know? Did you also notice there is something different in this Emiya Shirou? No? Ah, it may be too early. Nonetheless, he seems to be ready to kill you, even when he’s only defending himself. Imagine what he would do if he found out you killed Sakura!  
  
???: Nii-san is a bully, killing me off so early...  
  
Kariya: Oh yes, there’s that too! Your decision to kill Sakura has put you on the Near Side route, a route where you have to be as nasty as possible to survive! That means being crafty, making Gil-kun do your dirty work and so on!   
  
  
Kariya: Now, go back to the previous choice! Well then, that's it for this time! See you again next time in Kariya’s Pit!


	15. Day 6, Black Thunder

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**  
  
You take the intelligent option in this battle. There is no need to dirty your hands by fighting some useless Master. You can save your powers for later, when more worthy opponents show up.  
  
“Gilgamesh, would yo-“  
  
“Shinji. Stand aside. These mongrels need to be taught a lesson,” he growls softly. You hear the dangerous edge in his voice and retreat behind him without a word.   
  
“You, red whore. You dare to impersonate my treasure, my Saber. For that, you will die along with that Faker.”  
  
  
  
  
  
He snaps his finger. A storm of blades blast towards Emiya and Saber in a single second.   
  
  
  
However, a black whirlwind deflects them just as quickly.   
  
  
  
“  “  
  
A roar. The whole battlefield turns to notice their newest entrant: a black behemoth wielding an axe-sword.  
  
“Let’s kill them all, Berserker~” an angelic voice sings.  
  
All hell breaks loose once again.   
  
Golden portals appear and disappear, sending torrents of blades and weaponry as if it were raining. Two red blurs nimbly dodging the blades, slowly closing the gap to the golden Servant. And a black giant charging his way towards both sides, his axe-sword swiping away the Noble Phantasms as if he were pushing through wind.   
  
The lone Master in the battle drops his twin blades and summons a black bow and a spiral arrow. He shoots it at the black Servant just as it closes upon him. The resulting explosion blows away the swords around him and sends the giant flying backwards with a large hole in him. The golden Servant’s eyes grow murderous and he mutters a word of contempt as he raises his arm again, a golden portal revealing a divine shield that shelters him from the explosion. The Master is whisked away by his Servant. The black giant dies. And rises again. The Master summons his twin blades again. The red Servant continues her charge. The golden Servant continues his barrage.   
  
All of this occurs in five seconds.   
  
For a while, you watch on as they do the impossible.  
  
 _This is something you cannot achieve_ , a small voice in the back of your head says. _This is a battle that only true heroic spirits would partake in, and there would be no mercy for a struggling Master with little to no magecraft-_  
  
And you crush that voice mercilessly. No, you think to yourself. No, I am better than this. This is why I have chosen to spectate. No need to dirty my hands by fighting with rabble.  
  
  
  
 **As the battle heats up, you notice a small crystal bird perched on a tree near you. When it notices you are staring at it, it flies away. You-  
1\. Ignore it. The battle is more important.  
2\. Chase after it. Maybe it’s a Master you can fight…? **


	16. Day 6, Interlude 6-1 Fate/Stay Night

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
Intermission 6-1**

  
  
  
  
  
“I ask of you―――are you my Master?"  
  
Those words, so nostalgic to him, so nostalgic. He would never forget their meeting under the pale moon, the night of fate where his story had begun.   
  
"From this time forward, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete."  
  
The scene lasts for less than a second. But just like that, his life was turned upside-down, and he would remember this scene even if he were to end up in hell.  
  
  
  
Her blond hair, her steely eyes, her invisible sword. Her smile, her laugh, her final glimpse back at him before she leaves.  
  
 _“Saber ― I could not save you.”_  
  
But that was another time, another life.   
  
“Answer me―――are you my Praetor?”  
  
She is different. The first thing he notices is that she wields not an invisible sword, but a bright red one. And complementing that is her red outfit, which contrasted greatly with the night. Her very presence seemed to exude confidence and authority, and her gaze was that of a king’s.   
  
Perhaps it was because he had taken measures to defend himself from the Servant’s attack this time. Perhaps it was because he had interrupted his fight with _that being_ too early. Or perhaps he had simply been sent to an alternate dimension instead of back in time.  
  
Regardless, Emiya Shirou once again is partnered with Saber, but not the Saber he had hoped for.  
  
But is there a difference? Would that change what he would do?  
  
No. Emiya Shirou is an ally of justice. He has promised that he would not let the tragedy that is the Sixth occur, nor would he let the lord of the moon rise once more.  
  
Most importantly, he would not let that crystal spider destroy humanity again.   
  
Regardless of what Servant he is partnered with, they will face these threats together. And Emiya Shirou will stop at nothing to do so. He will sacrifice everything he has, to protect everything he has.  
  
This time, he will not make the same mistake again.   
  



	17. Day 6, Bad End 3, Nine Lives

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

  
  
  
  
You ignore the crystal bird, focusing on what is an intense battle of supremacy in the Emiya courtyard.   
  
-but you can probably no longer call it a courtyard. For when a house is destroyed, is the land in front of it still a courtyard? You cannot answer this deep, profound question.  
  
But perhaps more importantly is whether you can even call the place the Emiya household at all. The entire mansion, once a simple but beautiful piece of Japanese architecture, is razed. Only flimsy pieces of wood mark what was once your best friend’s home.  
  
You think of how angry Emiya must be, and proceed to laugh good-naturedly at his misfortune. Maybe you should spare Emiya, just to see the look in his eyes when you tell him Sakura’s fate…  
  
…or perhaps rub more salt into his wounds and mount his Servant after this battle? Perhaps forcing him to watch through one of Gil’s Noble Phantasms?  
  
Decisions, decisions. It really is hard to be Matou Shinji, future king of Fuyuki.   
  
  
  
But you are a merciful ruler, after all, and you will probably grow tired of tormenting Emiya at some point. So you will let him live, you will make him your slave, and he will serve you like the baseborn half-baked magus that he is-  
  
-because of your musings, you fail to notice that the battle has grown slightly closer to where you are standing. One moment, you are standing to the right of Gilgamesh, and the next you are sent flying across the remnants of the courtyard. You know very well that there are swords all around the place- if you fall on one, it would mean your death. So you quickly twist in mid-air in an attempt to straighten yourself-  
  
-and a black blur crashes headfirst into you, propelled by an explosion caused by a Broken Phantasm.   
  
Your body is instantly torn apart by the impact, and the last thing you see is a grim face, unapologetic in the least, uncaring of your meaningless death.  
  
  
  
You scream.  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	18. Day 6, Kariya's Pit 3

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: So. Why have you died this time?   
  
  
  
???: Uhuhuhu, you didn’t ask me for help, uhuhuhu~  
  
Kariya: …not really.   
  
???: You’re so helpless, Shinji-kun!   
  
  
  
MASTER SELF-DEFENCE KIT!!!  
  
Kill Berserker with that knife  
  
Kariya: …and some people actually fought over and died for this thing. What idiots they must be. Anyway, your mistake this time is making a rational choice! As you know, Shinji-kun isn’t a very rational person. So you must think like the (self-proclaimed) future king of Fuyuki!  
  
  
Kariya: Now, go back to the previous choice! Well then, that's it for this time! See you again next time in Kariya’s Pit!  
  
  
  
  
  
…  
  
  
…  
  
  
  
WISEUP!!  
  
Class: Avenger (?)  
Name: Sehai-kun  
Age: ??  
Height: ??  
Weight: ??  
Hair Colour: N/A  
Alignment: Lawful Good (?)  
  
Stats:   
STR: EX  
CON: EX  
AGI: EX  
MGI: EX  
LCK: EX  
NP: EX  
  
Abilities:  
Third Magic: ??  
  
  
  
Noble Phantasm:  
  
Knife(?): EX  
Angra Mainya- All the Evøˆ¨©¥•øæ¬√˜˚∂´]————   
  
**BAD SHINJI-KUN, PEEKING AT MY STATS, UHUHUHU…**

** **


	19. Day 6, Madder Red Town

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
**  
  
  
  
Amidst the chaotic battle, you notice a crystal bird perched on a tree near you. You glance up at it, and disturbingly, it looks straight back at you with its soulless eyes.   
  
  
  
Something is wrong with it. The very nature of a crystal bird is against normal logic.  
  
But you are not normal. You are Matou Shinji, rightful heir to the Matou household, and the Second Owner of Fuyuki (should a certain person leave her position). Some may see their doom. Some may see a fraction of a forbidden moonlit world. But you, you see opportunity.  
  
It’s Tohsaka. There is no question about it in your mind. The familiar is related to her mastery of jewel magecraft, and no one else would be brazen enough to send a familiar right next to a Master.   
  
“Finally, Tohsaka! You think you can outsmart me, but I’ll show you why you should have partnered with me in this War!” you declare with consummate confidence. In reply, the bird merely flaps its wings and flies away.   
  
You sprint after it in an almost delirious manner. You have, however, enough self-control to turn back to your Servant before leaving. “Gil!” you shout. “I’ll leave these guys to you! I have a bigger fish to catch!”  
  
Your Servant does not reply or even appear to hear you. You shrug and continue your pursuit.   
  
“Soon, Tohsaka.” You spit out as a menacing grin finds itself on your face. “Soon, you’ll be mine.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shinji reaches the crossroad down the road near Emiya's. Will he-  
1\. Turn right?  
2\. Head straight?  
  
aka  
  
 **Assassin subplot?  
  
1\. Yes, let Shinji in on some good ol’ Kirei plotting.  
2\. No, let Shinji on a wild goose chase.**


	20. Day 6, Interlude 6-2 Kaleid Liner

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
Intermission 6-2  
Five minutes ago**  
  
 _Master, the priest we met that night is approaching us. You will meet him at the crossroads._  
  
“Got it, Lancer,” Tohsaka Rin says.  
  
She continues to walk forward. There is no hesitation in her, she has come this far by being confident in her decisions.  
  
  
  
  
Lo and behold, as her Servant had reported, Kotomine Kirei stands in the centre of the crossroads, his smug face between her and her ally’s house. Even from here, she could hear the cacophony of screaming swords and explosions, a sign that he had already engaged another Master.   
  
“Make it quick, Kirei. I don’t have time for this,” she states plainly. Tohsaka Rin is a person who speaks directly, and she is even more direct when speaking with unpleasant priests.  
  
“Maa, maa. Always so hasty, Rin,” Kotomine drawls, as if relishing every word. “Surely you know by now that I too, am competing in this war.”  
  
  
  
Tohsaka scoffs, “Of course, you fake priest. My Servant could detect yours even if you buried him underground. I knew from the very beginning that you were one of the Masters.”  
  
  
  
“Hoh? Is that why you refused to dematerialise your Servant? And is that why Emiya did not come to see me?”  
  
“Hah, you give me too much credit, Kirei. Emiya was the one who chose not to visit you. And it seems like he made the right choice in the end,” Tohsaka replies casually, her eyes trained on the priest.  
  
  
  
“I see, I see,” Kirei nods his head. “I finally understand now. Very well then, Rin. Go ahead and help your ally. I will not fight you.”  
  
Confusion. Tohsaka, who had planned to fight this man, is confused at the turn of events. Why would he not fight her? He was, after all, another Master.   
  
Kirei turns his back on her, striding confidently away. “Indeed, Rin. I have a Master and Servant to track down. I thought I would start off by attacking you for realising my identity as a Master, but it seems my priorities will change again. I will find Assassin and his Master. The next time we meet,” Kirei intones, “we will have a battle befitting our roles as Masters.”  
  
  
  
As Tohsaka hurries to Emiya’s side, her Servant speaks up.   
  
_Rin, he is a very dangerous man. His Servant felt weak…but there is something I cannot put my finger on. When we clashed that night, he was so confident of winning… We must be careful while dealing with them._  
  
“You don’t have to tell me that, Lancer,” Tohsaka mutters.   
  
“But we have to focus on helping Emiya now. Let’s put that aside for later.”  
  
  
  
  
WISEUP!!

  
  



	21. Day 6, Interlude 6-3 Sparks Liner EX

**Day 6  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
Intermission 6-3**

**_Sparks Liner EX_ **

**  
**  
  
  
  
“Die already, mongrels,” Gilgamesh snarls uncharacteristically.  
  
If you ask anyone who has interacted with Gilgamesh for an extended period of time, they would tell you Gilgamesh is never out of control. He is always confident, always smirking as if he is superior to every other being on Earth. Even when he does get angry, he merely speaks softly, partaking in a tranquil fury that can only be found in beings with the greatest self-control. The proverbial “edge” of his control is never even seen, let alone spoken off.  
  
But on the sixth day of the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, finds himself teetering on the edge of madness.  
  
If his previous rage at seeing the red Saber is like a volcanic eruption, then his current state of mind would be that of a supernova.  
  
“Three minutes,” he snarls as he gnashes his teeth. “How are you mongrels still alive?”  
  
And he has good reason to be frustrated. Gilgamesh is not used to fighting prolonged battles. Sure, a few Servants may be able to counter his Gate of Babylon if he were to only summon a few portals. Sure, they may even be able to almost reach him if he gives them a small window of opportunity. But this battle.  
  
  
  
  
  
“  \-- !"  
  
  
  
  
  
“…Trace, off.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“Roll cancel.”  
  
“  — !"  
  
“Over here, mad beast!”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
With over two hundred portals open at once, and over tens of thousands of swords raining down upon them, _his opponents are busy fighting each other instead of him._  
  
For the first time since his dear friend’s death, Gilgamesh feels as if he wishes to crush the very earth his opponents were walking on.  
  
No. Not his opponents. They cannot be called opponents, for calling them so would be giving their actions meaning. They are nothing, lower than scum, lower than mongrels. No one can ignore the King.  
  
His right hand itches. He knows there is a weapon he can use to finish this. The only weapon in his vault that is unique and unstoppable. He knows of no other weapon that can match its destructive force. But he cannot use it. Using it would mean declaring his defeat, and throwing away his pride as the King of everything.  
  
And that, Gilgamesh cannot stand above everything.  
  
And so the battle rages on.  


 

* * *

 

  
  
While Emiya Shirou would normally be unable to defeat a top-tier Servant like Berserker, he is able to establish himself as an incredibly dangerous threat in this particular situation. With his experience in Breaking Noble Phantasms, he can efficiently raise his weakened projections by one rank, allowing him to pass through Berserker’s Noble Phantasm. Even so, Breaking is a move that saps up too much of his prana, and under normal conditions, he would be hard-pressed to take even four of Berserker’s lives without killing himself.  
  
However, the fight he is in is completely advantageous for him, and completely disadvantageous for Berserker.  
  
For one, he has Saber by his side. While she would not be of too much assistance in killing Berserker, her ability to dodge his attacks at just the right moment is crucial in disturbing Berserker’s momentum. His instincts as a mad warrior would not let him realise she does not in fact pose that much harm, and he would not be able to follow through the rest of his attacks.  
  
For a moment, Shirou reflects on how _right_ it feels to be Saber’s Master. Both of them were fakes, one faking weapons and the other faking abilities. One giving up almost everything because of his ideal, and the other isolating herself because of her ideal.  
  
Truly, they are a broken pair, and he could see why he had summoned this Saber.  
  
But he shelves that aside for later. He nimbly whirls around three scimitars and a lance shot at him, utilising a sixth sense that could almost be called a skill. Without even looking, he slips around Berserker’s side, drops onto the ground and dodges his axe-sword.  
  
  
  
There is another problem, of course.  
  
  
  
  
Swords and lances and spears and daggers and axes and hammers flying haphazardly everywhere. A minefield of pure murder. In this case, however, Shirou is able to exploit the situation enough to survive.  
  
Unlike what Gilgamesh had thought, the combatants are not in fact unaware of him or even ignoring him.  
  
They are simply too focused on killing each other first before moving on to stopping the storm of swords. With golden portals all around him and Noble Phantasms raining from the skies, Shirou is forced to stick extremely close to Berserker, utilising his hulking physique to block numerous weapons that could have ended him. Saber, on the other hand, is abusing her Imperial Privilege Skill to the best of her ability, barely staying alive in the barrage as she swerves around swords that are starting to graze her. She knows it is hopeless to win this by herself, without time to prepare her Noble Phantasm, and she can only help defend her Master from the black Servant.  
  
But Emiya Shirou is running out of options.  
  
He does not have enough prana for another Broken Phantasm, if he is to face Gilgamesh afterwards. So he has to rely on Gilgamesh to kill Berserker for him.  
  
He projects Kanshou and Bakuya just in time to block the air current from Berserker’s next slash, as even that would kill his weak, human body.  
  
  
  
It is now a battle of endurance for Emiya Shirou, and whoever runs out of prana first loses.

* * *

 

  
Berserker dies.  
  
His first death was from getting pierced by two lances from Gilgamesh.  
His second was from a Broken Caladbolg II shot by Saber's Master.  
His third was from Saber’s Thunderous Applause manoeuvre.  
His fourth was from yet another Broken Phantasm- Arondight II.  
His fifth was from a humongous spiral spear from the golden treasury.  
  
  
  
“  !"  
  
He roars, as if defying nature and fate, ignoring the mortal wounds he has suffered for a sixth time.  
  
If there is one person who can be touted as “losing” in this chaotic battle, it would be Berserker. Even without the burden of protecting his Master, he faces a Heroic Spirit who stands above all, a Servant who copies his skills, and a mysterious boy whose powers pose as much of a threat as the others to him. His Noble Phantasm, God Hand, is a blessing from the gods, a symbol of how he had completed the Twelve Labours and ascended to godhood. He has twelve lives, and any weapon below the rank of A would be useless against him. Furthermore, any weapon that has been used to injure or kill him would be rendered near useless against him afterwards. He truly is a fearsome entity, and one would normally be correct in assuming that he can win against any Servant, in any scenario.  
  
However, Berserker dies again, this time pierced through the lungs and heart by an axe and a longsword respectively. His mind may be clouded by insanity, but he dimly notes that he has died seven times already.  
  
Time for a change of plans.  
  
  
  
Limited as his intellect is, he prioritises killing the golden Servant above everything, and as his wounds vanish and his body is restored once more, he charges at his new goal.  
  
Unknown to Berserker's simple mind, Emiya Shirou and Saber had caught on with what Berserker was doing. Not even a nod spent in explaining their next move, they charge together in a pincer-like movement towards Gilgamesh.  


* * *

  
  
Three attacks, one from the front, and two from the side. Suddenly, Gilgamesh faces the brunt of his opponents’ power.  
  
Deep within his mind, he knows all too well that he should be pulling out that sword, but his pride refuses to let him budge.  
  
But-  
  
_"Matou Shinji. You are a very, very interesting person.”  
  
"Very well then, Shinji. Entertain me more and I shall deliver the accursed device into your hands."  
_  
  
No, he decides. He cannot die without enjoying the horrors the Matou boy will inflict upon both the world and - unknown to Shinji - himself. He knows that the young Matou heir will put on a show far more entertaining and disturbing than anything Kirei can conjure.   
  
While that may not be worth the price of throwing away his pride as a King, he has to survive. He owes himself and his new Master that much as the King of Heroes.  
  
His right hand has already grasped the Key, but he releases his grip on it, letting it fall into a golden portal.  
  
  
  
The black giant, having died two more times, still charges towards him at the same velocity. The woman finally is able to make her way close to him. The boy is just behind, closing in on his right. There isn’t enough time for theatrics, Gilgamesh knows, and he must take out his trump card without delay.  
  
  
  
A slight hesitation.  
  
It is a hesitation caused by his lingering pride. It lasts for no more than a quarter of a second, but that is enough of a delay to make a difference.  
  
The first blow comes from the red sword on his left. It swings in a beautiful arc of crimson, its blade singing in the air as it targets his neck-  
  
  
  
He blocks it with a heavy axe from behind him, but doing so makes him lose his concentration, and his Gate closes slightly.  
  
The second blow comes a split-second later, a monstrous attack with no finesse and skill, but an attack that could very well kill him nonetheless.  
  
  
  
He searches deep within his treasury, and summons the Shield of the Gods, capable of taking even the most devastating of hits.  
  
  
  
But he knows that is not enough. The Shield can take the greatest attacks Man can offer, but Berserker is no ordinary man. The shield cracks under the pressure of the axe-sword, and as the black giant puts his full weight into the attack, it shatters unceremoniously.  
  
And behind the shield, Gilgamesh smirks.  
  
  
  
  
Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven. A prized possession of his, only used against worthy opponents. With its ability of binding divine beings, the great Heracles stood before him disarmed and defeated. Multiple swords and spears piece the restrained giant, eating away at his stock of lives. With that threat neutralised, Gilgamesh should have enough time to draw out Ea.  
  
But just as he draws out the Sword of Rupture, he hears a voice from his right.  


 

_"Shingi, muketsu ni shite banjaku — ”_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two swords, thrown from his right. Almost instinctively, he blocks them with Ea. They fly behind him.  
  
The boy is unarmed.  
  
“— Freeze, out."  
  
And he continues to charge forward.  
  
Another pair swung towards him, this time held firmly in the hands of the boy. The black sword on the left and the white sword on the right. They are simple to parry, even for an inexperienced sword-user. They will no doubt break against Ea. But-  
  
  


 

_“ — Chikara, yama wo nuki.”_

  
  
An attack barely perceived from behind him. He just manages to duck to the right as a white sword flies straight back at him.  
  
  


 

_“— Tsurugi, mizu wo wakatsu.”_

  
  
  
And almost immediately, a black sword follows, causing him to lose his balance as he leans on his left to barely escape its attack.  
  
His arms aloft, his most powerful blade not in position, his Gate slowed temporarily.  
  
Kanshou and Bakuya, twin swords which will always return to each other. Ranked C-, it is below even some of the most obscure of Noble Phantasms in power. Yet, its unique property proves to be the deciding factor in this match.  
  
  
  
His opponent’s swords break against Ea, and both of them take an instant to assess their conditions. Then-  


 

_“— Seimei, rikyuu ni todoki.”_

  
  
A final pair appears in the boy’s hands.  
  
Gilgamesh’s expression freezes.  
  
Emiya Shirou throws himself forward, covering the final half of a metre between him and the Servant.  
  
He slashes at the defenceless body in front of him.  
  
Gilgamesh pushes himself away with everything he can muster.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**”FAAAAAAAAAKEEEEER-“**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, escapes Emiya Shirou’s final attack.  
  
His arm, however, does not.  
  
  
  
The battle is over, and the victor stands up weakly, supported by his Servant in a field of blades.  
  
He has just enough energy to smirk at what was once his most dreaded foe, who stands a fair distance away from him, shocked beyond recognition.  


 

_"- Warera, tomo ni ten wo idakazu._

  
  
“Well, King of Heroes. It looks like you need a hand."


	22. Day 6, Boy Meets Girl (Matou Edition)

**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
**

 

**Boy Meets Girl(Matou Edition)**

****  
  
You cannot believe how sneaky Tohsaka is. The bird you are chasing suddenly explodes into shards of crystal just as you reach the crossroads, almost as if mocking you for your efforts. Even worse, you do not see Tohsaka at all.  
  
You scratch your head in disbelief. Did she use some invisibility spell?  
  
  
  
Nonetheless, the battle does not seem to be ending soon, so you decide to walk over to school to mull things over. Perhaps you could go and flirt with your group of dedicated fangirls...  
  
"...oh yeah, it's Saturday today," you utter, your hopes completely crushed.  
  
Just then, as you are thinking of how to salvage the day, you walk by a girl.  
  
"Hey you!" she cries. "You're Matou, right? Matou Shinji?"  
  
  
  
You do not even give her the time of your day. What is an unattractive tomboy to you anyway?  
  
"I know you're stalking Tohsaka," she says.  
  
What.  
  
How does she know?  
  
No, she cannot know of this. There is no way. You calm yourself and turn to her, smiling gently.  
  
"Maybe you've got the wrong person, girl. Now, go sumo wrestling or whatever you normally do. "  
  
  
  
Without even waiting for her reply, you stomp off into the distance, muttering curses under your breath. How dare she insinuate that she knows about your relationship with Tohsaka! No one should know about your recreational activities.  
  
Without realising it, you've reached the school gate. The school is open to students, but no one appears to be there. It is, after all, a Saturday, and most people will have tried their best to avoid this place. You sigh and decide to go in. If no one is there, you can go kick around some tables or urinate on Emiya's chair or something to let out your stress.  
  
"To think he's that strong," you muse enviously. "How can Emiya surpass me like that?"  
  
"ARRGH! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! WHY?"  
  
Your vision swims in red, and your mind is burning.  
  
  
  
You enter a random classroom and pick up a chair, throwing it across the room. The resounding crash does nothing to alleviate the pain in your heart.  
  
"WHY?" you scream as you punch the whiteboard, leaving a dent in your fist. " WHY IS HE BETTER THAN ME? WHY DOES HE GET THE GIRLS I LIKE? WHY IS EVERYONE BETTER THAN ME?"  
  
You flip a table and snap open your Formalcraft book, summoning shadow blades to cleave through the room.  
  
"I MUST HAVE SOME REASON TO EXIST!"  
  
There's a barely suppressed "eek!" behind you, which sets you on alert immediately. You turn around and see a girl standing in the hallway.  
  
"M-matou-san...a-a-are you alright?"  
  
  
Realisation hits you like a truck, your eyes glowing with hope once more. You swallow your indignation and run a hand through your hair as you walk out into the corridor.  
  
"Fufufufufu...ahahahahahAHAHAHAHAH!" you laugh in relief as you approach the girl.  
  
The girl slowly backs away from you.  
  
"Aaaah, that's right. I **do** have meaning. I may not be powerful enough to rule over the likes of Emiya," you drawl.  
  
"E-e-emiya-san? I d-don't get what-"  
  
  
  
"But you. You are weak! Just like my uncle! Just like my father! Just like Sakura."  
  
  
  
"And you will serve me."  
  
  
  
And as you stalk forward, like a predator on the loose, you reach down, just below your school uniform.  
  
_Ziiiiiiiip-_  
  
 

* * *

"Emiya...what happened here?"

  
Shirou stands on his trembling feet, coughing violently. He can barely muster enough energy to face the newcomer.  
  
"Tohsaka huh? Sorry, I'm rather tired today," he slurs as he coughs up a crimson red liquid. "Can you go home for today?"  
  
Rin does not understand. But she can take a guess as to how the battle had went.  
  
"Saber, bring him to my house. Your prana signature is already keyed into my field, so don't worry about the alarm. Lancer, we're going to scout the city right now," Rin orders immediately.  
  
Shirou gives a weak "Thanks, Tohsaka" before crumbling onto his Servant.  
  
"Praetor!" Saber cries out in shock. She grits her teeth and stands up, cradling Shirou in her arms. "Thank you, Master of Lancer, I shall make haste to your abode."  
  
As she leaves, Lancer materialises, his hair carelessly flying in the wind.  
  
"Master, that boy...his body..."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then...you must have realised that he will definitely-"  
  
"I know, Lancer. More importantly, how long does he have?"  
  
"I only know of one case that is similar to his, but do you wish to know of the reason behind his-"  
  
"No, Lancer. He will tell me sooner or later." A pause. "How long does he have?"  
  
A sad smile appears on Lancer's face as he replies, "If he doesn't fight again? One year, Master. One year."


	23. DAY 6 SUMMARY

**DAY 6 STATUS - SURVIVED!!!**  
  
Give yourself a pat on the back, you've managed to guide the most pathetic excuse of a Master through one day of hell! It's only going to get worse more fun from now on, so please support Matou-kun so that he can reach the mythical True End!  
  
Daily Achievements:  
  
CASTOFF 1, MATOU ver. [√] (technically from yesterday)  
Golden Bash Bros. [√]  
Knock, Knock, Grandpa [√]  
Dark Side of the Worms [ ]  
The Scythe of Fate [ ]  
Golden Separation [ ]  
BFF Friends Forever <3 [√]  
The Saber You Deserve [√]  
Kaleid Liner (Fake) [ ]  
Bad Hair Day, Rin ver. [ ]  
Fake Priest, Fake Master [ ]  
Y'er a Heretic, Shinji [ ]  
Mapo, Mapo, Matou ver. [ ]  
Black Dagger [√] (automatic)  
Bone Off My Head [√]  
Watch and Learn [√]  
Sumo Wrestling Hurts [√]  
Hands Off, Gil [√]  
mY nAMe Is- [ ]  
Assassin and Shinji [ ]  
No Answer [ ]  
Wild Goose Chase [√]  
Asshole Victim [√]  
Dolphins 1, Matou ver. [√]  
Kaleid Liner 1 [√] (automatic)  
  
  
Affection Rating (aka how much they adore Shinji):  
Matou Shinji: 100  
Emiya Shirou: 0  
Tohsaka Rin: -100  
Archer: -100  
Saber: -100  
Lancer: 0  
Berserker: 0  
Assassin: 0  
Gilgamesh: 50  
Kotomine Kirei: 30  
Illyasviel von Einzbern: -50  
  
Saegusa Yukika: -100 (ziiiiiiip)  
Makidera Kaede: -90 (the one you insulted)  
Mitsuzuri Ayako: -50  
Fujimura Taiga: 0  
Ryuudo Issei: -75  
  
Kuzuki Souichirou: N/A  
Caster: N/A  
Rider: N/A  
Matou Sakura: N/A  
Matou Zouken: N/A  
Arcueid Brunestud: N/A  
Tohno Shiki: N/A  
Makiri Zolgen: N/A  
  
  
Useful notes: There are two ways to get out of Day 6: one which we have taken, another which is through meeting Kirei via your first choice of the day. You then get to choose whether you want to work with him; saying no gets you killed. Saying yes leads to a mapo scene. You get Kirei affection points for that. However, you drop some Gilgamesh points automatically the next day.  
  
Also, Shinji can chance upon H-scenes by doing seemingly mundane things, ala Tsukihime. Don't worry if you come across one though. Most are not lethal.


	24. Liner Arc

_I like loli._

-Matou Shinji

 

**LINER ARC**

** **


	25. Day 7, Dis-Armed Servant

**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
**

 

**_Dis-Armed Servant_ **

**  
**  
  
  
  
Ten years ago, a tragedy happened.  
  
No, it was more than ten years ago for Emiya Shirou. For him, it is a distant memory. A distant, yet haunting memory.  
  
It was where he was born, after all.  
  
Without this tragedy, there would be no Emiya Shirou. Perhaps he would be someone else, in a school thinking about his latest crush or his life after high school. But he is Emiya Shirou. And he has a duty to save the world.  
  
He sits on the bench, his body shivering from the morning chill. It would normally be laughable to him that he would be so vulnerable, but he has already taken that into account.  
  
“The countdown’s started ticking, huh?” he asks rhetorically.  
  
Saber materialises beside him, her eyes clouded with worry. “Praet-Shirou, what is going on?”  
  
He smiles sadly in return and replies, “I was led astray by my emotions again. I shouldn’t have fought in that battle.”  
  
“What are you talking about? We won the-”  
  
“But at what cost?” Shirou shoots back gently, his Servant unable to find a reply.  
  
He tilts his head to look at the grey sky and sighs, “I’m dying, Saber. And I’m not sure if I have enough time left to save you all.”  
  
“Yeah, your body is weird, onii-chan.”  
  
Shirou snaps to attention as the melodic voice reaches him. He sighs again as he notices the silver snow fairy that is walking towards them.  
  
“Are you supposed to be out here alone, Illya?”  
  
“How rude to ask a lady such a question, onii-chan,” Illya pouts as she squeezes herself between Shirou and Saber, her petit body nestling in their warmth. “I had to sneak past Sella and Liz to come here, you know. It wasn’t easy. Oooh, you’re so warm, Saber.”  
  
“Naturally. I am the heart of Rome itself. I can withstand all types of cold weather,” Saber replies boastfully, eliciting a giggle from Illya.  
  
Shirou looks at the two and feels his heart ache, as it did so long ago.  
  
“I’m sorry for hurting Berserker so badly, Illya,” Shirou remarked.  
  
Illya blinked in surprise. “Huh? I thought you would be angry at me for sending Berserker after you.”  
  
“I can never be angry at you.” There is no hesitation in his voice. “You were the only one I had left in the end, after all.”  
  
Illya almost stands up in shock. “Wha..? Shirou?”  
  
A bitter chuckle, followed by a serene smile.  
  
“Sorry, just memories from another time, another life.”  
  
Illya frowns at the cryptic statement, but decides not to pursue it for now. She tugs Shirou’s sleeve and asks, “So, why are you dying?”  
  
Shirou’s reply is too weird. He bursts out laughing, a pure sound that he has not released for far too long. “Ahaha…you’ve always been so direct, Illya.”  
  
“Shirou is mean. Illya just wants to know what are those weird things in your body.”  
  
Saber leans forward at this point, interested in her Master’s reply. “I also wish to know, Pr-Shirou."  
  
Shirou nods and warms up his magic circuits. With a little push, he sends some energy through his right arm into his palm-  
  
-and Kanshou is formed, one of the twin scimitars he favours. But it does not form with the customary green-blueish magical energy some may be used to seeing. Instead, the energy is red, and solid particles float to the ground before dissipating.  
  
“Grain. This is why I am able to go beyond my limits.”  
  
And as he dismisses the blade, a voice from behind him sounds out in surprise.  
  
“Grain…?! Impossible. Who are you?”  
  
Saber’s body stiffens, but Shirou places a hand on her shoulder, signalling her to calm down.  
  
“I could ask you the same question, Lancer. Who are you?”  
  
A dash of grey hair, a boyish face, a futuristic black battle-suit. Lancer materialises behind the trio.  
  
“My apologies for not introducing myself, Master of Saber. I was certain until just now that you would not understand the time which I have come from, and hence I have no need to introduce myself.  
  
“My name is Edem. Ado Edem.”

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
_"…thank you, Shizuka-san. I’m here at Homurahara Academy, where two girls have been sexually assaulted by a person they described as ‘having long blue hair’. The authorities are now working hard to find the culprit and bring him to justice-“_  
  
You are in the living room, watching television while sipping on some of Zouken’s old whisky, when you come across the news channel. The broadcast leaves you absolutely dumbfounded.  
  
_Two_ girls?  
  
You are very sure you only attacked one. Besides, you blackmailed her with naked pictures of her. You do not deserve to be in such a mess.  
  
_"-victims are by the names of Makidera Kaede and Mitsuzuri Ayako-“_  
  
_WHAT._  
  
  
_”-current suspect is at large. Authorities have labeled one Matou Shinji to be the main suspect for raping the two girls.”_  
  
  
  
Whatwhatwhatwhatwhat. If this is being broadcasted nation-wide, your reputation would be ruined! How can you rule over Fuyuki now?  
  
You resist the urge to pull out your beautiful hair. Why does fate treat you like this? Why would you be in trouble for taking a girl when Emiya probably has his own harem already? The world, you decide, really is unfair.  
  
Oh well, you can’t do anything. If the authorities come, you can always call Kotomine and tell him to clean up the mess. For now, you should take putt those lovely photos you took yesterday…  
  
…and the front door clicks open.  
  
In walks your (new) best friend and your Holy Grail War companion.  
  
  
  
“Oh hi Gil, where have you been?” you ask, remembering that he did not return last night.  
  
He shrugs his left shoulder and replies, “I was busy cleaning up a mess some mongrel left.”  
  
“Which mongrel?”  
  
He hesitates for a moment, lingering in the doorway, before shutting the door gently and plopping himself on the sofa next to you. He opens a portal and brings out a glass of wine. He sips it casually as the whole mansion grows silent save for the broadcast on television. Then he sighs, “My arm.”  
  
  
  
  
You are confused. His arm? But it’s his arm. How can that be a mongrel? He sees you are visibly confused, and downs the glass of wine in one gulp.  
  
  
  
“My arm was disobeying me by not evading attacks, so I had it cut off. I replaced it with a prosthetic, but its uses are…limited.”  
  
Oh. Oh. You understand now. So he got injured in battle and now he lost his “happy time hand”. No wonder he’s so angry.  
  
He leans forward and grunts, his right arm slowly rising and his right hand slowly making a fist.  
  
“…useless. But it is better than that which betrayed me.”  
  
  
  
You cannot stand to see your best friend so unhappy though, so you decide to cheer him up.  
  
“Hey Gil, let’s go have some fun today!” you propose, leaning forward as well, a grand idea forming in your mind.  
  
“Hooh, what do you propose, Shinji?” he asks, his eyes showing slight interest.  
  
“Let’s go play ‘Raid the Tohsaka Mansion’!” you exclaim, your voice tinged with excitement.  
  
  
  
“Tohsaka huh? Yes, that will certainly be amusing,” Gilgamesh grins predatorily. “You know not of the irony in this act, Shinji, but if I agree to your proposal, I will certainly have a great time.”  
  
You scratch your head. To be honest, you merely wanted to head over to have a taste of Tohsaka. You didn’t know there was some relationship between the Tohsaka household and your best friend. But oh well.  
  
“Let’s go then. I’ll just grab my book,” you declare as your lift yourself off the sofa and walk towards the stairs leading to your room.  
  
“Oh, one thing Shinji,” Gilgamesh calls out.  
  
You turn around.  
  
“There were some men outside who wanted to see you. I killed them.”  
  
You blink.  
  
“Ah, alright. I’ll ask Kotomine to clean it up.”  
  
  
**Gilgamesh seems to be very happy with your decision! You propose focusing on- (that is, spend most of your time doing before certain people come back?)  
  
1\. Raiding the house for valuables. Tohsaka loves her jewels, she must be rich.  
2\. Destroying the house. Now that you’ve destroyed Emiya’s house, it’s only fair to destroy hers too.  
3\. Rape Tohsaka. Well, there’s no law against it…right?**

 

WISEUP!!  



	26. Day 7, Bad End 4, Knightmare

**2\. Destroying the house. Now that you’ve destroyed Emiya’s house, it’s only fair to destroy hers too.**

  
  
**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
**

**_Knightmare_ **

**  
**  
  
  
  
You reach Tohsaka’s mansion. It is at the end of a row of western-style houses, an immense structure that stands tall against time. You have read about this residence before, in one of Zouken’s books. It was built centuries ago, around the time the first Fuyuki Holy Grail War started, by Tohsaka Nagato, who was said to be a student of the Kaleidoscope himself. It truly is a structure filled with history and regality.  
  
All the more reason for you to destroy it.  
  
“Gil, let’s destroy this place,” you say, pointing at the mansion.  
  
“Hoh? How about the girl? I thought you were…fond of her?”  
  
  
  
“Tohsaka? Oh, she’s nothing. All the beauties from the Clock Tower will come to me when I win this War. I’ll be a celebrity among magi!” you exclaim with fervour.   
  
Gilgamesh shrugs his left shoulder. “I have no objections. Bringing the house down will be fun for me,” he says as he opens a golden portal next to you. A dazzling golden board drops next to you with a slight “clang”, before hovering off the ground by itself.   
  
  
  
“Use this. I’m going to fly up there now,” he says. With a graceful leap, he jumps twenty metres into the air…and stays there, holding his left arm straight up.  
  
You quickly climb on the board, and shakily hover near Gilgamesh.   
  
_*snap*_  
  
  
  
In a single instant, the Tohsaka mansion vanishes under a cloud of dust, numerous Noble Phantasms blasting anything below you and Gilgamesh into pieces. You watch in awe as your Servant demonstrates his immense power.   
  
This, you decide, is the power of a King. And that is why you stand above even the likes of Emiya Shirou and Tohsaka Rin. With Tohsaka buried beneath the rubble, nothing stands between you and the Grai-  
  
 _“What have you done?”_  
  
A calm voice.   
  
Followed by an inhuman pressure that sends you flying off the board. As you fall to your death, you hear the voice speak emotionlessly.  
  
  
  
“Knight Arm: S-”  
  
You scream as the ground grows closer and close and-  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	27. Day 7, Kariya's Pit 4 (?)

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
Kariya: ...  
  
Kariya: ...  
  
Kariya: ...  
  
Kariya: ...  
  
Kariya: I know, I know. This place is dreary. But I’m the only one doing this, and you keep dying anyway, so you have to bear with m-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Taiga: Welcome to the ever-sunny Taiga Dojo! I’m Fujimura Taiga, the instructor of this dojo for Masters who like dying painfully!  
  
  
  
: Now then, since we’re taking a break before starring in the Heaven’s Feel movies, we’re here to help you!  
  
: That’s right! This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience how it is to be a main character!  
  
: Gaooo, poor Shinji-chan, only having a worm pit as a help corner. You must feel even more jealous of Shirou-chan now.  
  
: But Taiga, Shinji deserves it. He raped an innocent girl, you know.  
  
: Uguu, that’s true.   
  
  
  
: Alright, since we’re here, we’ll help you this once. Senior student?  
  
: Haaai! Goldie-kun was too loud with his attack, so Lancer noticed you. You have to be sneaky, like a worm. Go back to the previous choice and pick another option!  
  
: Maybe you’ll die again, but you’re Shinji, so no one cares~  
  
: Gah, so cold! But she’s right, Shin-chan, not even the minor characters know who you are~  
  
: Well then, that's it for this time!  
  
: Say hi to onii-chan for me~  
  
  



	28. Day 7, Boy Meets Girl II: Heaven's Hole

**Option 3**   
  
**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
**

**_Boy Meets Girl II: Heaven’s Hole_ **

**  
**  
  
  
  
You reach Tohsaka’s mansion. It is at the end of a row of western-style houses, an immense structure that stands tall against time. You have read about this residence before, in one of Zouken’s books. It was built centuries ago, around the time the first Fuyuki Holy Grail War started, by Tohsaka Nagato, who was said to be a student of the Kaleidoscope himself. It truly is a structure filled with history and regality.  
  
All the more reason to abuse her within it.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t want a turn? Not every girl is like Tohsaka, you know,” you ask your best friend generously.   
  
He shrugs his left shoulder, “I have no interest in low-quality goods. She isn’t worthy of my seed. It seems she is alone for now. Maybe her Servant is out on a scouting mission?”  
  
Well, that’s just absolutely perfect.  
  
  
  
“Let’s get this show on the road, Gil,” you laugh as you push open the gates and enter the residence.   
  
  
  
Gilgamesh trails behind you. His strides match yours, but his feels…cautious. But what is there to worry about?   
  
You kick down the front door and stroll into the mansion as if it is yours.   
  
  
  
As you walk in, you are hit by what feels like a wall of magical energy.  
  
“Hoh? What’s this?” Gilgamesh says, his body not impeded in the least unlike yours as he walks in front of you. “Someone is gathering magical energy from the leyline.”  
  
You suddenly recall that the Tohsaka mansion is built on a leyline, meaning its residents can, at times of emergency, retrieve great amounts of magical energy. But even so, you are confident as you steel your resolve and continue into the house. Your Servant is Gilgamesh, King of Heroes. Nothing in the modern world can stop him.   
  
“Come, Shinji,” Gilgamesh beckons you over to him. “The energy is coming from the basement.”  
  
“The basement?” you ask. You didn’t know that Tohsaka had a basement like yours.  
  
“Ah yes. That was where Tokiomi summoned me,” Gilgamesh states, smiling wistfully. “It was a night of fate indeed, for the world to be under my rule once again.”  
  
  
  
  
Tokiomi? Night of fate? You don’t understand what he is talking about, but you nod anyway. It’s respectful to agree with your best friend, after all.   
  
As you follow Gilgamesh around the wooden staircase and down a corridor to the basement steps, you breathing becomes laboured. The air around you is saturated with prana. But you see Gilgamesh unaffected by it at all, and you have no choice but to grit your teeth and soldier on.  
  
As you walk into the dark basement, you squint your eyes, trying to make out objects stored in it. Papers strewn around, a megaphone-like device, a few tables and several trinkets.  
  
And standing in the middle of the mess is the heiress, Tohsaka Rin.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Matou Shinji. Did you really think it would be that easy? I knew you were coming,” Tohsaka says in a flat voice, tilting her head with an air of indifference.  
  
You give her your best grin in response.   
  
  
  
“I thought it was be the fake priest at first, but you were too noisy,” she continues, her eyes focused not on you, but the Servant beside you. “And you brought your Servant with you too. Are you Gilgamesh?”  
  
“Yes, I am. What of it, girl?”  
  
“I heard you just now. You know my father’s name. Why?”   
  
“Why, I was summoned here, in this very basement, girl,” Gilgamesh states plainly, his fingertips tracing the edge or a wooden table near him.  
  
Tohsaka nods to herself and says, “I see. I suppose you betrayed him then.”  
  
“Hah! He swore his loyalty to me and I did nothing of the sort to him. I was never on his side,” he retorts, his voice full of mirth.  
  
You do not understand what they’re talking about. But you don’t need to. There’s only one thing you came for, after all.  
  
“Come, Tohsaka. If you don’t put up a fight, I might consider treating you well,” you propose as you step forward.  
  
  
  
A firm hand grips your shoulder at once. “Stop, Shinji,” Gilgamesh says. “Look at the floor.”  
  
And you see something remarkable.  
  
  
  
  
  
The ground beneath you starts to glow red with prana.   
  
“A…summoning circle?” you mutter as you back away. “But why is it so large?”  
  
“It’s not a summoning circle, Shinji. She’s modified it to explode the instant she releases her magical energy,” Gilgamesh explains.  
  
He steps forward, and stares straight at Tohsaka.  
  
  
  
“You’ve got guts, girl. Those who threaten me end up in pieces.”  
  
  
  
Tohsaka narrows her eyes, her voice calm as ever as she replies, “Not this time, Gilgamesh. If you attack me, I will vaporise this entire house. You may survive it, but your Master? He’ll be as dead as Assassin.”  
  
“Hoh? You know about that too?” Gilgamesh raises his eyebrows, clearly intrigued. “You really are observant, girl.”  
  
“Naturally. I am the Second Owner of Fuyuki. I have to know all about this War.” she says, her eyes drilling into Gilgamesh’s. “Oh, and-  
  
  
  
 _"Beschütze mich, Getreide aus der Zukunft Held."_  
  
The whole mansion creaks under the pressure of magical energy as a bounded field is raised.  
  
“Now you can’t kill me immediately with your portals. You can only control portals near your body.”  
  
“Really? Gilgamesh asks softly as he takes a step forward.  
  
More than twenty Noble Phantasms appear behind him.  
  
  
  
“Are you saying that you, a mere mongrel, can survive a King’s attack?”  
  
“You know it yourself, King of Heroes. This bounded field will slow you just enough for me to kill your Master,” she shoots back, as defiant as ever.  
  
  
  
“Tch,” Gilgamesh makes an annoyed sound. Slowly, he dismisses his Noble Phantasms one by one as he takes a step back, standing next to you. You feel apologetic to him for being in his way, but you also few angry towards Tohsaka for not submitting to you like that other girl.  
  
Time for your trump card.   
  
“Tohsaka, think about it this way. Even if you kill me, you won’t be able to stop Gilgamesh from killing your precious Shirou,” you say. You hide the trembling in your legs by walking over to a nearby table.   
  
Tohsaka sighs. “I knew it was going to come to this. I won’t be a burden for Emiya-kun, not when he’s putting his life on the line for us.”  
  
She raises her arm, and you leap back, preparing to open your Formalcraft book.  
  
“Don’t bother, Matou. Let’s make a deal. If your Servant lets me go, I’ll use up my Command Seals and exit this war. But you must sign a geas to never interfere with whatever Emiya-kun is planning.”  
  
  
  
“A bold proposition, girl,” Gilgamesh says. He turns to look at you. “Shinji, it’s your life, so it's your choice. I will accept whatever decision you make.”  
  
You are unsure of how to answer. On one hand, if you accept, you could potentially catch Tohsaka with her guard down and take her down - and if you need to, kill her. On the other hand, declining immediately could be hazardous to your health. She could just decide to kill herself all of a sudden, taking you along with her. But she seems to have planned all this, so it could be a trap. But it can’t be, since you are Matou Shinji and no one can out gambit you...  
  
“Well?” Rin asks. “What is your answer, Matou?”  
  
  
  
You-  
  
 **1\. Accept for now but the moment she lets down her guard, render her helpless/kill her. It’s about time you took her down a few pegs.  
2\. Decline immediately. Tohsaka is dangerous, it might be a trap. You can’t let your guard down.**


	29. Day 7, Brave Shine

_Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to be a hero._  
  
_He trained his body, used what little magecraft he knew and helped whoever he came across. But he was weak. In a world of magecraft and supernatural elements, he was restricted to helping others in small matters. But one night, everything changed._  
  
_A lance. A pair of falchions. A red jewel. Blood, so much blood. The crimson lance approaches him, only to be deflected by a strong blow from an invisible sword. A blonde swordswoman from an ancient legend. His journey begins._  
  
_At first, it appears to go well. Working with the girl and her archer to fend off the black giant, confronting the chain-wielding Servant, fighting in the temple against the woman with a purple cloak. He catches the ire of the archer, but his skills improve at an inhuman pace. The girl he works with is kind, and teaches him more about magecraft. And the silver fairy he meets in the park brings joy into his desolate lifestyle. He learns about his lineage, and a sister he never had enters his life. Perhaps, just perhaps, he can become the hero he always wanted to be._  
  
_But it is not to be. The golden Servant makes his move early. He approaches the swordswoman with overwhelming force. She is taken from the boy just like that, in exchange for the others’ lives, and he feels an unbearable pain in his chest. He grows to understand that he cannot be the hero he wants to become. As if to make matters worse, the archer defects, deciding to side with the caster and the teacher. And before he knows it, the golden Servant appears again. This time, the sister is his target, but the black giant interferes, and the siblings barely avoid death once again._  
  
_Even as they escape, they realise how dire their situation is. Together with the girl, they are three humans in a war meant for monsters._  
  
_That night, the boy sits in the dimly-lit park with his sister. They sit unmoving in the darkness, knowing that even if they hide in their houses, they would be killed without any issue. Even so, the boy decides to fight._  
  
_And his sister, seeing that there is no way to convince him otherwise, vows to support whatever he does._  
  
_Strength returns to his body. He faces a choice that could lead to his ruin._  
  
__  
  
_Is it even a choice? He already knew from their first meeting in the park that he will do whatever he can to protect her. He does not discard his ideal to save people, but he places her safety above everything else. If it comes down to it, he will destroy the entire world to save her. And so he cannot let her die, or let her watch him die. They must survive._  
  
_The boy takes the first step. He works with the haughty girl to figure out the archer’s identity. They confirm who he is by confronting him, and the sister speaks up, defending her brother from his future self. His future self, no matter how jaded, is unable to harm a single hair on her head, and gives in. He breaks his contract with the caster, and lays waste to her base in one fell swoop. Then, they confront the golden Servant and the tainted knight of victory. The archer works with his master to bring down what was once his first love, proving that skill can overcome sheer power._  
  
_The boy, having received a gift from the girl, brings down the king in a fight within a fake world. His sister faces the priest, and ends that remnant of the past with a silver sword. The archer reminds the boy of what he must not do, and sacrifices himself to take down the corrupted grail._  
  
_It is a miracle that they have survived, but as if mocking their measly war, a ritual is completed ahead of schedule. The world dies, and the crystal spider awakens. Mankind begins to die, but some manage to survive the first wave of death. The boy is one of the lucky ones, but his sister isn’t._  
  
_She makes him promise, that he will survive no matter what. It is a final request from an older sister to a younger brother. It is a promise he cannot break, even if he has to discard billions of lives. So he does, adapting to the future’s harsh conditions while watching everyone around him dies. He cannot take it anymore. He cannot do anything, but he knows someone who can. So he approaches the girl from the past, the only other surviving member of the war. She agrees, knowing that saving one person from a desolate future is better than none._  
  
_And so the hero, who wanted to save everyone, is saved by everyone._  
  
_He realises he has reached the other side of his journey when he wakes up on wooden floorboards. He vaguely recognises the place; it was his home before his fate was changed forever. His body feels experienced, and the alien substance of the future is in him. Even so, as he touches his face, he realises it is not the calloused face of a veteran, but the soft cheeks of a child. He walks over to the side of the manor, where a silver moon hangs in the night sky. Two figures sit side by side. One is a man who is about to die. Another is a boy who has taken on his dying wish. There is no hesitation as he kills his other self, but as he notices the wide eyes of the supposedly dead man, he breaks down into tears._  
  
_The man says nothing, does nothing. He does not know who this other child is, but he can see his haunted eyes. He knows there is a reason for his vile act, and that reason must be so great that he has to kill an innocent child. He knows all too well._  
  
_So, with his dying breath, he commands him._  
  
_“Succeed.”_  
  
  


 

  
**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Brave Shine_  
**

  
  
There is no other way. You have to agree with her, or you’ll be blown to pieces. And if that happens, you’ll die without winning the war, without being king, and most importantly, without having a harem.  
  
You have to agree for now, and then wait until she drops her guard...  
  
“Fine, Tohsaka,” you growl as your gnash your teeth in frustration. “I’ll agree to your terms.”  
  
  
  
“Oh? Looks like you have a brain after all,” Tohsaka says as she beams in fake delight. “Here, catch.”  
  
She throws the geas scroll across the room, and it lands near your feet. And while she does so, she is still on guard, unwilling to give even a single inch to you.  
  
  
  
But you’re Matou Shinji, and you’re no ordinary fool. You reach down with your right hand, bending your back slightly, and -  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_Ziiiiiiip-_  
  
  
unleash your secret move.  
  
_“…I am the worm of my pit.”_  
  
Two screams. One is that of righteous feminine outrage. Another is a “Now, Gil!”, issued with desperation and madness in a single gamble for survival.  
  
Your Servant acts immediately. Twenty golden portals appear.  
  
  
  
Though he cannot summon his portals too far away, the blades that shoot out are still capable of reaching her in a second. The first sword that is shot out is a violet broadsword. For a moment, it hangs in the air, as if blocked by something, but there is a sound resembling glass breaking, and it proceeds to blast straight towards Tohsaka-  
  
-and the roof of the basement collapses as a being exuding pure murder drops into the room, right in front of your Servant’s attack. The weapons sent flying towards him are batted away like flies, and for a fraction of a second, everyone is speechless.  
  
Then your Servant speaks up, his voice extremely soft.  
  
  
  
“Shinji. We leave. Now.”  
  
Before you can register what is happening, a golden portal appears in front of you, and you are pushed into it.  
  
As you are swallowed by the darkness within it, you can briefly hear a few voices.  
  
“-ight Arm-”  
“-et again, mongrels-”  
“ _Anfang-_ ”  
  
  
And then, pure silence.  
  
**When you wake up, it’s nighttime and you’re back at the Matou Manor, and Gilgamesh is nowhere to be seen. You-  
1\. Wait patiently in the house, he’ll be back soon.  
2\. Go outside to find him. **


	30. Day 7, Boy Meets Girl III: Track Team Woes

**Option 1: Wait patiently in the house, he’ll be back soon.**   
  


  
**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Boy Meets Girl III: Track Team Woes_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
  
The next thing you know, you are in Sakura’s room in the Matou manor, sprawled on the floor. Your body hurts, as if you had fallen from the roof of the house, and your vision is blurry.   
  
  
  
You slowly get up on your feet, gripping a desk for support, and make your way to the door. As you walk along the corridor, you realise that the manor is completely dark, save for the living room. You trudge cautiously into the room, turning on the lights in the dining room as you do so.  
  
  
  
No one is there. Gil probably went out to do something.  
  
You sigh. Your memories are still somewhat jumbled, so you decide to wait for Gil to return. You fall heavily onto the sofa and turn on the television.   
  
_“-and once again, it is reported that the rapist has long blue hair. Investigators have issued public statements regarding this issue, but no action has been taken so far to question the main suspect, Matou Shinji-”_  
  
What. Again?!  
  
You are accused of a crime you didn’t commit again. Who would have the gall to mess with you like this?  
  
  
  
“When I get my hands on this guy, I’ll slice him up with my dagger,” you growl to yourself.  
  
 _“-girl, Saegusa Yukika, has just been reported missing by her parents. She is a kind girl with a shy disposition. If anyone has seen h-”_  
  
You vaguely remember her name from somewhere, but your mind is still jumbled, so you decide to tune out the news broadcast and take a quick nap. Just as you are about to drift off, however, you hear the doorbell ring. Despite your condition, you spring to your feet and happily open the door.   
  
“Gil! You’re finally ba-”  
  
“Matou Shinji. Where is Yukika?”  
  
  
  
In the doorway stands an unfamiliar figure.  
  
“Ehh? Who are you? Go away, I’m expecting Gil,” you say as you close the door.  
  
The girl, however, sticks her foot out and stops you from closing it entirely. “I know you have something to do with her disappearance, Matou,” she insists. “When we mentioned your name yesterday, she cried. What did you do to her?”  
  
You growl back, “I don’t know who this Yukika is, alright? I don’t need to remember all the names of my fangirls-”  
  
  
  
“Then let me in. If you have nothing to hide, there’s no reason not to talk to me.”  
  
You sigh in annoyance. “Fine, just get out of my sight when you’re done.”  
  
You open the door to let her in. She walks in confidently, turning around to face you in the living room, her right foot tapping impatiently on the floor.  
  
“Look,” you reason, your arms aloft and your mouth stuck in a very superficial smile. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, and frankly, I don’t care. I am a model citizen, and I don’t go around raping girls, alright?”  
  
…maybe that wasn’t the entire truth to it (you DO go around raping girls, but not everyday! You’re not some psychopath!), but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.  
  
“Really?” she asks calmly. “You’re a major suspect for raping a few schoolgirls, Matou. One would wonder what you could’ve done to her.”  
  
You run a hand through your hair in frustration, and that’s when you notice her looks.  
  
  
  
“She doesn’t look too bad,” you muse to yourself.  
  
“Hey! Pay attention to me, Matou,” the girl says as she walks over to you.  
  
You grin nastily.  
  
“Alright! I’ll give _plenty_ of attention to you~”  
  
  
  
 _Ziiiiiiip-_  
  
  


* * *

  
  
**Earlier in the day**  
  
  
  
“Knight Arm-”  
  
“ _Anfang_! Stop, Lancer!”  
  
  
  
A burst of red light is emitted from Tohsaka Rin’s hand just as Lancer prepares to charge at their foe.   
  
“Master, why…?”  
  
“You need to conserve your energy, remember?” she chides, as she trains her right arm on the Servant across the room. “Fight without using your Noble Phantasm, that guy’s right arm is busted.”  
  
The Servant across the room stands warily, his face completely serious. “You,” he says as he points at Lancer. “Who…no. What are you?”  
  
Lancer does not reply, merely sliding into a stance and raising his fists. A black helm materialises on his head, covering his boyish face.  
  
Golden portals by the dozens appear as Gilgamesh takes a small step backwards.   
  
“You’re no Lancer. How did you force your way into this war?”  
  
“I could ask the same of you, golden Servant. You’re no Archer.”  
  
Gilgamesh does not reply, his bestial red eyes narrowing slightly. Lancer takes a single step forward, and the ground beneath Gilgamesh trembles.   
  
“You are not a normal Servant, nor are you a normal human. I might have to take you seriously,” he says, spitting the word ‘seriously’ as if it were a curse.  
  
  
  
“But…I am not at my best right now. Exterminating mongrels like you would be too troublesome at the moment,” Gilgamesh states plainly. “Besides, if we fight here, the whole house might collapse and kill your Master.”  
  
Lancer dematerialises his helm, his face contorted with anger. “Leave. Now.”  
  
The golden Servant does not appear to hear him, dismissing his golden portals and leaping to the floor above. “We’ll meet again, mongrels. And when we do, you will die a painful death for defying the king.”  
  
As he leaves, Lancer turns to his Master. “Master, good job for delaying him for so long. I thought I was too late.”  
  
“No, Lancer. I told you that it was fine to follow Emiya-kun, so it’s my fault. Besides, it seems like our theory was right,” Rin says as she deactivates the magic circle beneath her feet. “It seems like he hasn’t recovered completely from his fight yesterday.”  
  
Lancer nods. “He is a dangerous opponent, but if he cannot wield that sword of rupture, I should be able to defeat him.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s why he retreated, right? He sensed your Noble Phantasm’s true nature when you were about to bring it out,” she remarks as she pours prana into her legs and jump through the hole in the ceiling and into the living room.   
  
Lancer follows her shortly. “But I cannot defeat him without using my Noble Phantasm…so I suppose I am not to approach him, Master.”  
  
“That’s right. Don’t use it until you absolutely have to. Emiya-kun still needs you for that job, you know,” she says, just as Saber and Shirou rush into the house.  
  
“Tohsaka! Are you alright? Lancer said you were in trouble,” Shirou asks worriedly.   
  
“I’m alright. It seems like Matou and his Servant does not know about Servants being able to communicate with Masters telepathically,” she says. “Or maybe the Servant does know, but it’s been too long since he’s used it, so it probably slipped his mind.”  
  
Saber glances around the house, and says,“Praetor, we can’t stay here anymore. That Servant can attack us too easily like this.”  
  
“Yeah,” Shirou replies. “Pack your things, Tohsaka, we’re going to Illya’s. And please help me ask the Clock Tower about that person. Let’s finish that first before this War gets worse.”  
  
  
 **It’s Day 8 morning, and Gilgamesh still hasn’t returned. You are starting to feel a bit concerned, especially after realising he had effectively saved your life when you confronted Tohsaka. You-  
  
1\. Go to the church. Maybe the priest knows something.  
2\. Go to Tohsaka’s. Maybe he’s still there.  
3\. Stay at the Matou residence. He’ll return soon enough, and besides, you have a nice toy to play around with.**


	31. DAY 7 SUMMARY

**DAY 7 STATUS - SURVIVED!!!**  
  
Armed with a book and a black dagger, you managed to negotiate with Tohsaka Rin? AND you get laid afterwards? Based Shinji is based.  
  
Daily Achievements:  
  
Knight Edem [√]  
Golden Bash Bros. II [√]  
Poor Magus, No Money [ ]  
4th War Catalyst [ ]  
Noisy Extermination [√]  
Kaleid Liner (Slashed) [√]  
Thinking With Your Other Head [√]  
Founding Family Face-Off [√]  
Zipper-Happy [√]   
That's Not a Geas Scroll [√]  
Brother and Sister [√]  
Hero From Another World [√]  
Mind of Steel [ ]  
Death of a Prodigy [ ]  
Past vs Future [ ]  
Golden Sacrifice [ ]  
Gil-kun Where Art Thou [√]  
Asshole Victim II [√]  
Track Team Trio 2/3 Complete [√]  
  
  
  
Affection Rating (aka how much they adore Shinji):  
Matou Shinji: 100  
Emiya Shirou: -10  
Tohsaka Rin: -100  
Archer: -100  
Saber: -100  
Lancer: -100  
Berserker: 0  
Gilgamesh: 50  
Kotomine Kirei: 30  
Illyasviel von Einzbern: -50  
  
Saegusa Yukika: -100  
Makidera Kaede: -100  
Mitsuzuri Ayako: -100  
Himuro Kane: -100  
Fujimura Taiga: 0  
Ryuudo Issei: -75  
  
Kuzuki Souichirou: N/A  
Caster: N/A  
Rider: N/A  
Matou Sakura: N/A  
Matou Zouken: N/A  
Assassin: N/A  
  
Arcueid Brunestud: N/A  
Tohno Shiki: N/A  
Makiri Zolgen: N/A  
  
  
Useful notes: If you chose to raid Tohsaka's house for $$$£££, you'll stumble upon a snake skin before confronting Tohsaka. That would give you +10 Gil points. If you chose to decline immediately, you kill Tohsaka, but Lancer comes and Gil sacrifices himself to teleport you away. You DO screw up Shirou's plans though, so that's a minor plus if you happened to go down that route.  
  
Emiya Shirou STILL doesn't see you as a big threat, which is why you're only -10 in his book. But the more you screw with him...  
  


  
**Illyricus said:**  
I wonder if Shinji has used his "Ziiiip" attack this chapter.

  
  
Look closely, just before the scene changes >:)


	32. Day 7, Interlude 7-1 Fate/Stay Night II

**Day 7  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Interlude 7-1  
Fate/Stay Night II_   
**

  
  
  
  
  
  
“…and that’s how we’ll take it down,” Shirou says as he picks up his glass of water and gulps it down.  
  
Saber and Lancer nod in unison, while Illya continues to poke her stuffed bear’s stomach.   
  
Rin, however, has her face in her hands. “Are you saying that if we don’t kill it, it’ll kill everyone?”  
  
“Pretty much.”  
  
“Do you even _know_ what it is? I’m not sure if Lancer’s Noble Phantasm can even hurt it-”  
  
“I have no choice, Tohsaka,” Shirou cuts in before she continues. “If we don’t kill it now, it’ll wake up soon anyway. And when it’s awake, nothing can kill it.”  
  
“Besides, Master,” Lancer adds. “You’re underestimating my Knight Arm. I know of only one weapon that can equal its destructive power.”  
  
Shirou, Rin, Illya, Lancer and Saber sit in a circle, in the middle of Illya’s room at the Einzbern Castle. Having received news that Tohsaka’s mansion was partially destroyed, Illya was all too happy to accommodate them in exchange for laughing at “that peasant”. It took a while before they were back on civil terms.  
  
“Right, Ea. That’s what you said, right Emiya-kun?” Rin muses. “It’s a bit of a bother that your Noble Phantasm feeds on Gaia though. And you have that condition, just like Emiya-kun…”  
  
Shirou nods. “Lancer also suffers from the lack of Grain in this world. Our bodies have adapted to taking in Grain-rich air, and most of our power utilise Grain instead of prana. Our body can temporarily use prana, but it must be accompanied by a slight amount of Grain. And when we run out of Grain, we die.”  
  
Illya looks up from her stuffed bear with an unreadable look on her face. Then, she starts to poke the bear even more viciously.  
  
“It’s ironic that we’re slowly dying without the substance that killed most of humanity,” Lancer quips with a lopsided, bittersweet smile.   
  
He stands up and walks over to the large window in the room. “But it was a price I was willing to pay to see a sky so blue. When you summoned me, Master, my only reason to be a Counter Guardian was to help humanity.” He turns around to face Rin. “But now, I will fight to see more of this blue sky, and to protect this world from any threat.”  
  
“Lancer…” Rin mutters, looking straight at her Servant’s grey eyes.   
  
“So it’s decided then,” Illya speaks up for the first time since the conversation began. “You’ll bring Lancer along with you. I’ll try to win the War with Rin in the meantime.”   
  
“I’ll be here too!” Saber adds enthusiastically, pointing at herself. “Don’t worry about anything, if Praeto-I mean Shirou, asks me to protect you, you’ll be completely safe!”  
  
Rin sighs and stands up. “Just remember to come back as soon as possible. I’m concerned that Kotomine may be plotting something.”  
  
Shirou blinks and tilts his head in confusion. “But Tohsaka, he’s always plotting something. We just have to make sure it’s not going out of hand.”  
  
“Arrgh, I’m done with this mess! I’m taking a shower!” Rin grumbles as she stomps out of the room.  
  
Illya sticks her tongue out childishly. “Peasants and their tempers. But you’re different, onii-chaaan~” she says as she climbs onto her bed. “Alright, I’m going to sleep now.”  
  
“I’ll go explore the castle. Call me if you need anything, Shirou,” Saber smiles as she leaves the room.   
  
Lancer stands in front of the window for a while, until Illya throws her bear at him. “Oh, I see,” he says, finally catching on. “Have a good nap.”  
  
Shirou stands up with a weary sigh. “Alright then, see you later, I-”  
  
“Onii-chan, tell me a story,” Illya interrupts him immediately. She crawls under the bedsheets and pat the bed insistently. “Come on~”  
  
He can only comply, trudging over to her bed and lying down next to her. “Alright then, what do you want to hear about?”  
  
“Anything,” Illya says without hesitation.  
  
“Uh, alright. So…once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to be a hero-”  
  
“That’s boring.”  
  
“Ouch, such a harsh rejection.”  
  
Illya snuggles closer to Shirou, hugging his arm like a koala on a tree. “Tell me something more fun, onii-chan, not like the stories you told Saber and Lancer today.”   
  
Shirou scratches his head, thinking for something nice he can tell. “Ah! How about this one: once upon a time, there was a silver fairy living in the north. She was a pretty fairy, but she was very bored. So one day she left for a new country and met a boy who wanted to be a hero. And he pledged to save her from boredom, no matter what. How’s that?”  
  
Illya giggles, wrapping herself tighter around his arm, “That sounds so fun!”  
  
  
  
Shirou laughs and replies, “Yeah, it was fun. They were the best days of the hero’s life.”  
  
He turns to look at Illya, and sees her eyes looking straight back at him, a small frown on her face. “Shirou…you’re coming back, right?”  
  
“Of course I will,” he replies confidently.  
  
“And when this is all over…I’ll find a way to heal you,” Illya states with conviction.  
  
“Of course,” Shirou agrees again. “I’ll do whatever you want, Illya. Anything that makes you happy.”  
  
“Good Shirou, that’s what I wanted to hear~” Illya says, just before she yawns tiredly. She reaches over to the side to turn off the lights in the room. “Goodnight, onii-chan.”  
  
Shirou does not move for a while in the darkness with Illya’s frail body by his side, his eyes closed as if deep in thought. Then, he opens them again and sighs contentedly.  
  
“Thank you, nee-chan. I know who I have to protect this time.”


	33. Archer Arc

_"It's over, Shirou. You never stood a chance against justice. Drown in your ideals and die."_

-Shiki Makiri, fictional character from the blockbuster movie _Shiki Makiri and the Philosopher's Stone_

 

**ARCHER ARC**


	34. Day 8, Bad End 5, This Day and Never Again

**Option 3: Stay at the Matou residence. He’ll return soon enough, and besides, you have a nice toy to play around with.**   
  
  


  
**Day 8  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_This Day And Never Again_   
**   


  
  
You wake up just as the sun begins to rise. You had a very…productive night, so you feel completely satiated. As you put on your trousers, you realise that the girl is no longer in your bed. Perhaps she’s run off somewhere. It doesn’t matter, you can always find someone else if your urges become unbearable.   
  
  
  
You walk into the living room and sit down on the sofa, unsure of what to do today. As a Master, though you _are_ powerful, you cannot match a Servant in strength. So, perhaps you should wait for Gil to return before making a move?  
  
Having decided that, you turn on the television.  
  
 _“-chester United beat Liverpool in the FA Cup Final, retaining their title-”_  
  
 _“-new anime remake of 'Tsukihime’ has been delayed again-”_  
  
 _“-that Lord Gransurg Blackmore will be buying more land in Aylesbury-”_  
  
You are relieved that there isn’t any news about you. For now.   
  
You close your eyes and slowly drift into a deep sleep…  
  
…and when you wake up, you realise it’s already nighttime. You get up from the sofa, and look around the house. There is no sign of Gilgamesh. You sigh in frustration. Where could he be? You decide it is best for you to stay in the house, though.   
  
“Gil did say that going out at night without a Servant is extremely dangerous,” you say to yourself as you walk into the kitchen to make some dinner.   
  
Just as you are about to reach for the stove, you feel a chill down your spine.  
  
“What…?”  
  
You turn around-  
  
  
  
-just in time to see a black dagger plunge itself into your stomach.  
  
  
  
“Foolish, truly foolish, Matou Shinji. Did you think you were safe in this house?”  
  
As you sink to your knees, taking desperate gulps of air, the person in front of you laughs in delight.  
  
“Drown in your ideals and die.”  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	35. Day 8, Kariya's Pit 5

Gonna post this first before I sleep, since everyone usually wants Uncle Kariya to help. Happy voting ^_^  
  
  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: Alright, I’ll keep it short this time, because Shinji-kun really is dumb.  
  
Kariya: Did you really think Archer would play by the rules? If you don’t have Gil, you’re definitely not safe!  
  
???: eXAcTLy, ARcHerS aRE ALwAys sNEaKY.  
  
Kariya: Well, said, random visitor-kun! Oh, and my condolences to your off-screen death~  
  
???: sHUT UP kARiyA.  
  
Kariya: Anyways, just remember that you have to find Gil-kun as soon as possible, alright? After all, he’s your best friend in this War!  
  
???: NOw WhEre dO yOU ThiNk HE iS?  
  
Kariya: Unfortunately, we can’t tell you that! But good luck anyway! Well, I’ll probably be seeing you soon, so bye for now!  
  



	36. Day 8, You Are My King

  
  
The Servant raises his head as his Master walks into the church. He stands by the giant wooden doors, his stony face betraying no emotion.  
  
“Archer, have you located Gilgamesh?” his Master asks.  
  
The Servant does not speak, only sending a sharp blade towards his Master.   
  
His Master simply ducks his head and lets the blade fly over his head. He straightens his robes and lets out an amused “Hoh”, before walking down the pews to the door at the back. “So he can evade your scouting maneuvers? Maa, there's no need to act rashly. He’ll be back sooner or later.”  
  
“Remember what you promised, Kotomine,” the Servant growls behind him.  
  
“I never go back on my promises, Archer,” Kotomine replies as a grin finds itself on his face. “After all, I’m a priest.”  
  
  
  


  
**Day 8  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_You Are My King_   
**   


  
  
You wake up just as the sun begins to rise. You had a very…productive night, so you feel completely satiated. As you put on your trousers, you realise that the girl is no longer in your bed. Perhaps she’s run off somewhere. It doesn’t matter, you can always find someone else if your urges become unbearable.   
  
  
  
You walk into the living room and sit down on the sofa, unsure of what to do today. As a Master, though you are powerful, you cannot match a Servant in strength. But, staying in the house may be unsafe without Gil by your side. So, perhaps you should go and find Gil?  
  
You decide that yes, it would be best to reunite with your Servant as soon as possible. As you make breakfast, you map out the route you will take through town today to find him, starting from the last place you met him in, Tohsaka’s residence. You feel unsure of going there, as you were almost killed there just yesterday. But you have no other option but to take that risk.   
  
“If I don’t find Gil by nighttime, a Servant might attack me,” you think to yourself aloud. Nodding to yourself and praising your judgment, you prepare to leave. As per usual, you bring along your formalcraft book and your black dagger.   
  
  
  
You reach the Tohsaka residence, where you stand before the metal gate surrounding the house. From what you can see, most of the building is intact, though there is a large hole in the roof. And sitting next to the hole is Gilgamesh, holding a golden goblet.   
  
  
  
“Gil!” you shout out to him. “Are you alright?”  
  
He smirks at you and leaps off the roof, landing near you gracefully. “I am the King of Heroes, Shinji. Of course I am fine,” he quips as he leans against the metal gate. “I am merely…considering something.”  
  
He frowns for a while before turning around and looking at the Tohsaka residence.   
  
You are quite confused. Why would Gil seem so distracted if he’s only thinking about something? It doesn’t matter though. You know something is bothering Gil, and you’re happy to help out.   
  
“Hey Gil, if there’s anything I can do to help, just tell me,” you say, putting a hand on his shoulder.   
  
  
  
He says nothing, but you are determined to break the ice somehow. Maybe you could be direct, and simply ask him what is wrong. Before you can ask him anything though, he asks you a question in a quiet voice.   
  
“Say, Shinji. What if you had a best friend, who was the only person who could match you in power? And what if, millennia after his death, you meet someone else who is just a powerful? But you are unsure of what that person is, and how you’ll act against him? What would you do?”  
  
  
  
He clenches his right fist, his red eyes gleaming dangerously even in stark daylight. But his anger is not directed at you or anyone else. Instead, he appears to be angry with…himself?  
  
 **With that, you come to a decision. You tell him-  
  
1\. “I would follow that person and decide if I want to be his ally or enemy. ”  
2\. “I would wait until he’s weak before assassinating him.”  
3\. “I would kill that person.”**


	37. Day 8, Point Zero

**1\. “I would follow that person and decide if I want to be his ally or enemy. ”**   
  


  
**Day 8  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Point Zero_   
**   


  
  
“-I would follow that person. I would see if he really is that powerful, and then decide if he is my ally or enemy.”  
  
Gilgamesh whirls around, looking surprised. “To gauge if he really is worthy of being called my equal, hmm? That is certainly true, Shinji.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He reaches out his left hand, and a golden portal appears, bringing a golden flask with it into his other hand.   
  
“You impress me more and more, Shinji,” he says as he hands you the flask. “To think that you would speak of such wisdom…yes, I should have chosen to do this, but perhaps it is because he does not belong to my treasury that I am being so cautious…?”  
  
You shrug, not understanding a word of what he is saying, but you won’t turn down Gil’s good faith.   
  
“It was a trifling question, but you answered as I would have. For that, take this flask,” he says as you look into the opening of the flask. A sea of ruby-red liquor meets your eyes. Even with untrained eyes, you realise that this is no ordinary wine.   
  
“This, Shinji, is the Wine of the Gods. It will refill itself with the finest of wine, made with the finest of divine ingredients,” Gilgamesh smirks with pride. “Use it wisely.”  
  
You continue to gaze into the flask, mesmerised by the delicate smell of grapes that emanates from it. You barely manage to tear your gaze away from it to look back at your Servant. “Thanks, Gil! This really is cool!” you gush as you walk towards him.  
  
“Hah, it was obvious that you would appreciate a gift from the King. Anyway,” he says as he straightens his black designer jacket. “Consider it to be a temporary farewell gift of sorts.”  
  
  
  
“…eh?!”  
  
You are stunned by Gilgamesh’s sudden proclamation. Did he just say he will leave you? “Wait wait wait! Gil, what…why?”  
  
“As you say, Shinji, I have something that I must confirm for myself,” Gilgamesh says, his face set in determination. “This is something I would have never predicted…”  
  
“B-b-but! The War! What will I-”  
  
Gilgamesh cuts into your screams of desperation, “I’ll be back to clean up this farce of a war, Shinji. This won’t take too long.”  
  
He walks over to you and puts a hand on your shoulder. "But for now, do try to stay alive. I would hate to see a subject of mine killed in a war of mongrels. Oh, and try parrying Archer’s attack with your dagger. It may save your life.”  
  
  
  
With that said, he jumps onto a rooftop and leaps away, leaving you alone in the Holy Grail War.  
  


* * *

You stare at the numerous rooftops dotting the horizon, where Gilgamesh had vanished from your life, and then you look at the golden flask in your right hand.

“This…this has to be a dream, right? He didn’t just leave me…?” you ask yourself as you fall to your knees. “I…How am I supposed to win this War now?”

In sheer desperation and grief, you down the entire flask of wine all at once, the taste of the divine liquor stretching your five senses to the very fringes of human pleasure, washing away your worries.

“Ah, that’s right,” you say, as you slowly get up onto your feet, just as the wine reappears in the flask. “I’m not alone. He left me a weapon to defend myself with.”

He fumble a bit, but you draw out the black dagger he had given you.

You can still win this War. The only Servants left, after all, are Archer, Saber and Lancer. If you are careful, you could assassinate their Masters and effectively cripple them.

“Ahahahaha! There’s still hope! I’m not useless anymore!” you shout in ecstasy, downing another gulp of the wine.

“You’re insane,” a voice behind you growls.

You look back and-

“Oh, it’s you.”

“What do you mean by ‘oh it’s me’?” the girl shouts.

You nod to yourself. “Yeah, she’s the one who got raped, I think.”

“S-s-so what about it huh? I’m not like other girls, crying over something like that. I’ll pay back triple the pain to whoever did that to me!”

“Oh? Who did it? It wasn’t me, for sure.”

And it couldn’t have been you. You were, after all, busy with _another_ girl that afternoon.

“I didn’t see who did it, but I’m sure it was someone slimy like you,” she grits her teeth as she growls venomously at you.

“Accusing me of a crime I didn’t commit? Again?” you look up, as if calling out to someone in the sky. “I don’t rape girls everyday, will people please stop suspecting me?!”

You take a step forward, trying to reason with the girl. But she immediately steps forward as well, brandishing a taser. “D-don’t come any closer, or I’ll fry your brains!”

You blink at the ridiculous situation before laughing drunkedly. You take yet another swig from the flask, this time, causing some wine to spill onto your shirt, making you look as if you are drenched in blood.

“Since everyone’s accusing me of something I haven’t done…how about I do it? It makes no difference anyway!”

Brandishing your dagger and your flask, you proceed to brandish a third object.

_Ziiiiiiip-_

 

* * *

  
  
“He’s finally gone, huh? Time for me to move out then.”  
  
“...I’d rather you not.”  
  
“Try and stop me, fake priest."  
  
“Very well. Know that I won’t condone your actions, however.”  
  
“Go to hell, Kotomine. You want to do this too, you just help him more before betraying him.”  
  
“You hurt my feelings, Archer.”  
  
  
  
 **Fast forward to the Day 9, and you’ve temporarily shacked up at Tohsaka’s because of yesterday’s…strenuous activities. What do you do today?  
  
1\. Stay at Tohsaka’s. It’s the safest option…?  
2\. Go to school. Maybe you can dispel some rumours about you being the serial rapist with some Matou charm. It’s pretty safe anyway…?  
3\. Go to the church. It’s high time you meet with the priest and ask him for some assistance. Besides, he’s a nice guy who introduced you to Gil…?**


	38. DAY 8 SUMMARY

**Day 8  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
???**

  
  
"Let's go, Lancer. If we leave now, we'll get there in less than a day."  
"Yes, Shirou-san."  
  


* * *

  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...!  
  
 **DAY 8 STATUS - SURVIVED!!!**  
  
Short day, but still! Every day survived is another day closer to winning the Grail! Probably!  
  
Daily Achievements:  
  
Stay-Home Hero [√]  
Aylesbury, Aylesbury [√]  
Bone Of Your Dagger [√]  
Priestly Matters [ ]  
Hole-y Shinji [ ]  
Goodbye, Gilgamesh [ ]  
The Priest And The Worm [ ]  
Kyrie Eleison (false melty) [ ]  
All The Evils Of My Dream [ ]  
Question Of The King [√]   
Loyal Master [√]  
Wrong Answer [ ]  
Slash Of The Emperor [ ]  
The King's Speech [ ]  
To Stop A Hero [ ]  
Point Zero [√]  
The King's Equal [√]  
One Final Gift [√]  
No Words, Pure Brotherhood [√]  
The Hero's Journey [√]  
Asshole Victim III [√]  
Track Team Trio 3/3 Complete [√]  
  
BONUS ACHIEVEMENTS:   
  
Track Team Collection Gold Award [√] (Completing the hidden sub-quest "Track Team Trio Collection")  
Not My Friend, But My Precious Companion [√] (Raising Gilgamesh affection rating to ≥75)  
Smexy Times [√] (Completing 3 ziiiip scenes. Unlocks 3 more ziiiiip scenes.)   
????? Scene Unlocked! [√] (Choosing certain choices so far, which has already yielded a scene that will be shown later on)  
  
  
Affection Rating (aka how much they adore Shinji):  
Matou Shinji: 100  
Emiya Shirou: -10  
Tohsaka Rin: -100  
Archer: -100  
Saber: -100  
Lancer: -100  
Berserker: 0  
Gilgamesh: 75  
Kotomine Kirei: 50  
Illyasviel von Einzbern: -50  
  
Saegusa Yukika: -100  
Makidera Kaede: -100  
Mitsuzuri Ayako: -100  
Himuro Kane: -100  
Fujimura Taiga: -60  
Ryuudo Issei: -95  
Sella: -50  
Leysritt: -50  
  
  
  
Kuzuki Souichirou: N/A  
Caster: N/A  
Rider: N/A  
Matou Sakura: N/A  
Matou Zouken: N/A  
Assassin: N/A  
  
Arcueid Brunestud: N/A  
Tohno Shiki: N/A  
Makiri Zolgen: N/A  
  
  
Useful notes: Your choice of what to tell Gilgamesh yields a mighty +25 to his affection rating! Congratulations! Your other...actions have also increased/decreased your affections. Taiga and Issei both believe in the rumours spreading around, so if you want to increase their affection, you have to talk to them at school. Kotomine Kirei loves what he's hearing about you, so even without interacting with you, your affection has gone up a bit.  
  
And this may be a bit obvious, but the girls you, erm, touched, get a permanent -100 for affection. So don't bother buying them flowers or something.   
  
You are now at the midpoint of Shinji/Stay Night! But don't worry, there's plenty more to come! The War's only just begun~  
  
Also, the achievement list often gives clues as to what could've happened if you didn't choose some choices. Have fun speculating! Oh, and the previous chapter wasn't named Boy Meets Girl IV, as per custom to name every Ziiiip scene with that title, because Gil leaving was far more important a matter (even to Shinji!).   
  
Bonus achievements now appear! If you've completed a hidden sidequest, you get an achievement at the end of a day! Sometimes, it requires going onto bad ends to get these achievements! The '?????' one was something I didn't expect you guys to get at all (required 4 specific choices to be made), but well done on getting it unlocked~  
  
Also, voting is still open ;)


	39. Day 9, Bad End 6, To The Beginning

**2\. Go to school. Maybe you can dispel some rumours about you being the serial rapist with some Matou charm. It’s pretty safe anyway…?**   
  


  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_To The Beginning_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
  
You wake up, finding yourself in a bedroom on the first floor of Tohsaka’s house. Next to you is the girl you met yesterday, her body partially under the torn bedsheets. You sit up and chug another few gulps of Gil’s wine before getting up from the bed, putting the golden flask on Tohsaka’s bedside table. You run a pale hand through your hair, ruffling it as you stumble down the stairs and into the living room. You lean against the grandfather clock in the room, rubbing your eyes tiredly.   
  
No, you’re not tired. It is 8 am, as according to the time displayed on the clock, so you can’t be lacking sleep.   
  
You’re just depressed and angry that your Servant left you, even if it is temporary. You pick up your school uniform, which you left on the floor when you were busy...exercising yesterday.  
  
As you do so, you remember that it is a Tuesday, and that you are supposed to go to school today. But you are Matou Shinji, a magus in the Holy Grail War, and the Master of the King of Heroes. You feel that going to school is slightly demeaning.   
  
“Ugh, school is for dumb freaks like Emiya and Sakura…” you mutter as you plop yourself onto a chair in the room. “Not even a television in the house? Wow, and I thought Tohsaka was the perfect girl.”  
  
You remember how she is absolutely impeccable at school, her behaviour and grades at the very pinnacle of what students can achieve. Even the infamous rumour mill could not put a dent in her image.  
  
…ah.  
  
The rumour mill. If there are accusations of rape against you on television, the rumours could grow out of control at school, and you could lose your hard-built reputation of a sweet, rich boy.   
  
Your image of a complicated but emotionally sensitive boy…  
  
  
…could mutate into whatever the girls think you are, because of that fake Shinji rapist.  
  
  
  
You shudder to think what people may think about you now.  
  
With renewed enthusiasm, you kick open the front door and sprint to school.  
  
  
  
  
  


~~~

  
  
  
  
As you reach the school gates, you feel as if everyone is looking at you funny. Girls avoid you by deliberately walking in a giant arc away from you, while boys flash you middle fingers. Something, you decide, is very wrong.   
  
It’s time to bring out the Matou charm, then.  
  
  
  
Hands in your pockets, you walk up to a random girl.   
  
“Good morning, I’m sure you know my name from my fan club, but I’m Matou Sh-”  
  
She slaps you.  
  
But you are determined to set things straight though. “Now, I’ve heard some bad rumours about me, but I can tell you that I am a hundred percent innoc-”  
  
A first-year throws her bento box into your face.  
  
The students all around you slowly close in on you, their faces showing great hostility. Perhaps it is time for a tactical retreat.  
  
You sprint off towards the archery dojo, and past the building into the woods behind the school.   
  
  
  
Your eyesight is blurry from the exertion, and you are forced to slow down. Thankfully, you realise that no one has followed you this far.  
  
  
  
…!  
  
A strike from behind you. You feel it coming for you, clear as day, but it is too fast for you to react to, let alone parry.  
  
  
  
"Foolish, truly foolish, Matou Shinji. Did you think you were safe in the morning?”  
  
You look down, seeing a black dagger protrude from your stomach. You screech in horror, a noise unbefitting of the Matou heir.  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	40. Day 9, Kariya's Pit 6 (?!)

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: Alright, Shinji-kun seems to love going to school, huh?  
  
Kariya: You know, back in my day, students HAD to go to school. There was nothing like ‘just because I want to skip, I can skip school’, if we were found skipping, we’d be whipped! Zouken would be angry too! How spoiled children are these days, always nagging on and on about how us adults don’t understand them, but when they actually are the ones who don’t understand adults! They really should take a look at the real world and see how difficult it is to survive. Did you know how hard I had to work without being a magus? Fourteen hours a day! I barely had anytime to rest! Sure, you could say my job is easier than most, but it was sti-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
: Welcome to Kotomine’s Church of Yuetsu. Hoh, we finally have a visitor.   
  
: What is this place, you ask? Why, it is the place where all seekers of yuetsu end up in, for it is their fate to start their adventure from a church, and end their adventure in a church.   
  
: …  
  
: It was a joke. Only you are that pathetic.   
  
: Naturally, Shinji is always pathetic.  
  
: Ah, the nun of this church appears.  
  
: I’m not a nun, you fake priest.  
  
: Hoh, does that mean you still please old men for money?  
  
: I hope you get stabbed by a cursed lance.  
  
: Very well, let’s move on to why you have died, Matou Shinji. It is because your mind is weak. When your mind is weak, your body too, becomes weak. Thus is the fate of those who fight fate, and fight the power of the school’s rumour mill. Your lust also plays a part, making you weak-minded and picking a choice that seems to contain an ecchi scene. But then again, you are Matou Shinji. This is a natural end to a boy who refuses to bow to his saviour God and accept Salvation from the Fuyuki Church.  
  
: In other words, go to the church.  
  
: Hoh, you’re actually helping the boy?  
  
: Of course. He’s dirty, but he’s still a protagonist.  
  
: Even if he is as dirty as your anus?  
  
: W-w-why you-  
  
: Goodbye, and I hope you are dead again the next time our paths cross.  
  



	41. Day 9, The Battle Is To The Strong

**3\. Go to the church. It’s high time you meet with the priest and ask him for some assistance. Besides, he’s a nice guy who introduced you to Gil…?**   
  


  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_The Battle Is To The Strong_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
  
You wake up, finding yourself in a bedroom on the first floor of Tohsaka’s house. Next to you is the girl you met yesterday, her body partially under the torn bedsheets. You sit up and chug another few gulps of Gil’s wine before getting up from the bed, putting the golden flask on Tohsaka’s bedside table. You run a pale hand through your hair, ruffling it as you stumble down the stairs and into the living room. You lean against the grandfather clock in the room, rubbing your eyes tiredly.   
  
No, you’re not tired. It is 8 am, as according to the time displayed on the clock, so you can’t be lacking sleep.   
  
You’re just depressed and angry that your Servant left you, even if it is temporary. You pick up your school uniform, which you left on the floor when you were busy...exercising yesterday.  
  
“———————“  
  
You realise that you don’t know what to do today, as you haven’t located Archer’s Master yet. With that thought, you decide that it is best to ask the overseer about this matter.  
  
You kick open the front door and walk outside. It is a cold day, and it feels as if you are breathing ice into your lungs. Sticking your hands into your pockets, you try to distract yourself by planning what to say to Kotomine.  
  
“— Hi Kotomine, I lost the Servant you gave me…?”  
  
You shake your head. No, too direct.   
  
“…Rejoice, Kotomine.”  
  
You sigh. No, too subtle.   
  
So the easiest way to break the ice would be…  
  
“Hey, wanna go eat some breakfast? What do you want to eat?”  
  
  
  
“Yeah, that’s the best way to start our conservation,” you decide.   
  
You see a couple of students walking by, and you try to ignore them. But many of them, especially girls, are giving you dirty looks. You don’t understand why they would be angry at you, though.   
  
  
  
You reach the church after a while. You still remember the day when you rushed into the church, seeking sanctuary after losing your useless excuse of a Servant.   
  
  
  
_"You are the first to withdraw this time, and you are the first user of this church since it was built. I shall treat you properly in the stead of my father who started this place.”_  
  
The moment you think of the smug priest, your fists clench in anger. But you must hold it in. You need his help to stay alive, after all. You push open the great oaken doors and enter the church.   
  
  
  
…!  
  
But as if he were standing right behind the doors, the priest appears before your eyes instantly.  
  
“…Kotomine Kirei…!”  
  
“Matou Shinji. What brings you to my humble church. Don’t tell me…you’re here to request sanctuary again?” he asks as if it were a kind question any priest would ask. But the malice and underlying sarcasm in his words is hard to ignore.  
  
Without realising it, you have stepped back from his imposing figure. He does not feel hostile, but there is an air of danger around him. “I’m just here to ask you a few questions, Kotomine.”  
  
“Hoh? The first defeated Master wishes to hear some advice?” he asks cooly, causing you to grit your teeth.  
  
  
  
“…yeah,” you say as you swallow your pride temporarily. You will remember this man, and will painfully tear off his limbs when Gil is back. “Yeah, I need your help.”  
  
“And who am I to deny a lost lamb its salvation?” Kotomine says as he turns his back on you and walks down the pews to the back. “Come, Matou Shinji. I’ve been waiting for you.”  
  
Whether he meant he was waiting for you at the church or behind the church doors the whole time is debatable, but either way you feel uncomfortable.   
  
However, you ignore your instincts, choosing to follow the priest to the back of the church.   
  
  
  
The courtyard looks normal, but you can’t help but feel there is something very wrong. You feel as if there is an enemy you must defeat somewhere close to you, but you can’t pinpoint exactly where this feeling is from.   
  
So you walk closer to Kotomine, your hand drifting into your pocket-  
  
  
  
  
-and you turn around, brandishing your dagger and deflecting a fatal strike aimed at your heart.   
  
However, that is not the end of the enemy’s attack. You see the black blade striking from above you, but you cannot react fast enough; it is the speed of a Servant, and no ordinary mortal can match it-  
  
  
  
  
  
-except the man called Kotomine Kirei. He casually takes out three Black Keys and deflects the attack that would’ve ended you.   
  
The man who attacked you quickly retreats, taking several steps back from you. “Tch, Kotomine,” he calls out. “We had a deal. You said I can kill the brat.”  
  
Kotomine replies by fanning out his Black Keys, forming a formidable formation of blades that both attack and defend at the same time.   
  
“The situation’s changed, Archer. Matou Shinji is more valuable alive than dead,” he says, almost as if forgetting you’re next to him, if not for the mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
The man does not reply, instead choosing to turn his back on you and Kotomine, and dematerialising without a word of protest. Even then, the killing intent directed at you is still present.   
  
“Anyway,” Kirei says as he sheaths the blades and walks in front of you, almost as if the attack on your life did not just happen. “That was my Servant, Archer. He’s a bit impatient, as you can see.”  
  
“Come with me,” he calls over to you as he shows you a secret spiral staircase hidden behind a pillar. You stare beyond him and into the murky darkness that is the basement of the church. As you walk closer, you detect a faint but pungent smell.   
  
You-  
  
 **  
1\. Go with him.  
2\. Don’t go with him.**


	42. Day 9, The Sword of Promised Victory (Kotomine Remix)

**1\. Go with him.  
**   
  


  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_The Sword of Promised Victory (Kotomine Remix)_   
**   


  
  
  
  
You walk into the basement, where you find yourself in a dimly-lit altar-like place.  
  
“Such a place is under the church…?” you wonder aloud. “What do you use this place for, Kotomine?”  
  
Kotomine chuckles from behind you, his baritone voice echoing in the chamber eerily. “I am a priest, Matou. What do _you_ think I would do here?”  
  
You merely nod as you assume he uses this place to pray. You sniff the stagnant air in distaste, scrunching up your face as you turn around to face Kotomine. “What’s that smell? It smells like dead bodies, Kotomine.”  
  
  
  
“Hoh? Are you so morbid as to guess the smell is from dead bodies immediately? Next, you would suggest I keep half-rotten orphans from the Fuyuki fire in here as prana batteries,” he drawls as he brings the cross hanging around his neck up to his lips and kisses it. “I am a man of God, Matou Shinji. Do you think I would do such a thing?”  
  
“That’s true,” you muse, though you realise he didn’t really answer your question.   
  
Kotomine walks back to the staircase, where he opens a door under it. You blink in surprise. There was a door? You didn’t see it in the dim lighting. The smell grows stronger as the door opens, and you try your best to not be bothered by it. After all, Kotomine is standing firm as ever, unaffected by the pungent smell.  
  
Kotomine does not wait for you, leaving the door ajar as he steps in. You gulp and gather all your courage as you follow him. As you walk through the doorway, the door closes with an ominous _click._  
  
  
  
It is dark. The air is incredibly damp. You can see nothing, and you wait impatiently for your eyes to adjust to the pitch-black conditions.  
  
“…! Nnggh…!”  
  
  
  
The stench is suffocating. But, your vision returns, and-  
  
You see stone-like structures lining the side of the room, but you cannot tell if they are containers or merely part of the decor of the room.   
  
Another foul stench wave hits you, this time causing your eyes to water.   
  
You barely hold back your vomit as your vision grows red. And in front of you-  
  
  
  
-Kotomine Kirei, who looks as comfortable in this damp room as you are in your bedroom.  
  
And behind him-  
  
A wooden table. Two chairs. Both look incredibly out of place, and a sense of unease bubbles within you. But those are not the scariest objects in the room.  
  
No, the scariest thing you have seen is on the table itself, the source of the pungent smell, the smell of death.  
  
  
  
Mapo tofu, a Chinese Sichuan dish legendary for the sheer pain it causes. You have heard rumours of a curry-loving member of the church staying far and away from this dish, even if she is experienced in eating spicy food.  
  
“Come, Matou Shinji. Let’s have lunch.”  
  
You stare at Kotomine.   
  
Kotomine stares at the plate of mapo tofu.  
  
The plate of mapo tofu seems to stare back at you.  
  
You are unsure of how to respond, and you merely stand up as you witness Kotomine approaching the plate with an eagerness you have never seen on his face before. He takes a seat on the far side of the table, and raises his right arm.  
  
  
  
“Heat up.”  
  
A red glow, and suddenly, the plate of mapo tofu is steaming hot again.   
  
Did he just use a Command Seal to heat up a plate of mapo tofu…? You are unsure if you are hallucinating.  
  
  
  
Kotomine produces a spoon from his robes, and picks up a glob of tofu.  
  
  
  
“…do you want some?”  
  
“—what?”  
  
“It is customary of a priest to ask of lost lambs if they require sustenance. Do you require sustenance, lost lamb?”  
  
“...no.”  
  
  
  
Kotomine shrugs and starts to eat at a ferociously fast pace, spooning up mouthful of hell after mouthful, making pleasurable slurping sounds and moans that echo in the room in a very unsettling and annoying manner.   
  
“…Kotomine, you said you wanted to help me…?”  
  
  
  
He does not respond at all. His pace has only quickened, and you can barely see a glean of sweat on his face reflecting what little light there is in the room.   
  
“…Kotomine?”  
  
Still no response. You notice that he is almost finished.  
  
As his spoon no longer is able to scoop up any amount of mapo tofu, he looks up with a frown.  
  
  
  
“Truly, the suffering of Man is too brief for us to enjoy,” he says something weird. He wipes his mouth with a cloth from his robe before motioning you to sit down on the other side of the table.  
  
You cautiously do so, and Kotomine says, “I am the Master of Assassin.”  
  
…you have to let the statement sink in for a moment before you realise exactly what he just said.  
  
“…”  
  
“I see you are shocked, Matou Shinji. Perhapes you thought Assassin’s master is a beautiful purple-haired woman? I am sorry to disappoint you if that is so,” the priest apologises without being apologetic in the least. “That’s right, I promised you my help and here it is. I have identified the final Master for you."  
  
“…”  
  
“Why I have two Servants is a question I cannot answer, but I can tell you how Assassin died,” he continues to say, as if unaware that you are in a state of shock. “I fed him to Archer after he told me his true identity.”  
  
“W-wait! Waitwaitwait! What do you mean by ‘fed him to Archer’?” you yelp, as you finally are able to react fast enough to cut off Kotomine.  
  
“?”   
  
Kotomine tilts his head in confusion. “What do you mean? I just told Archer to eat him, and he did. It’s that simple. Servants are a good source of prana, you know, and Archer has rather low parameters. So it was obvious what I would do.”  
  
Even you feel sick at that, and bile starts to build up in your throat. But you swallow it and ask a question, your voice trembling slightly.  
  
“Then…who was Assassin…?”  
  
  
  
Kotomine’s lips curl into a large grin.

* * *

 

  
 _”Servant Assassin, I am your Master.”_  
  
“yOU aRe MY mAsTER?”  
  
“Yes, I am.”  
  
“Kotomine, you summoned a freak.”  
  
“There are side effects to abusing the Grail system, Archer. I have done my best to mitigate damage already, but I am not Makiri Zouken.”  
  
“WHeRE aM I?”  
  
“Hoh? It seems like it probably lacks prana to function properly.”  
  
“You’re going to need some high-quality prana to fix that guy.”  
  
“…or I could just feed him to you, Archer. In any case, who are you, Assassin?”  
  
“…WHo aM i? … wHAt aRE YOu tALkiNG AbOut?”  
  
“Your name, Assassin. Like how Archer’s real name is-”  
  
“mY nAmE…?”  
  
“…”  
  
“…”  
  
“I wAs ONcE caLLeD…  
  
  
  
…eMiyA shIRoU.”  
  
  
  
 **You can ask one more question.  
  
1.“Why do you like to eat mapo tofu?”  
2.“Why is Emiya Shirou a heroic spirit?”  
3.“Who is Archer?”  
**  
  
  
  
  
WISEUP!!!  



	43. Day 9, Bad End 7, Down in the Zero

**3.“Who is Archer?”  
**   
  


  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Down in the Zero_   
**   


  
  
  
  
You cannot believe it. What did Kotomine just say? That Emiya Shirou, a half-baked magus, was a heroic spirit? And he was eaten by Archer? Your head swims with unease, and your mouth opens and shuts wordlessly as you try your best to say something.  
  
  
  
“Hoh? Are you that surprised, Matou Shinji? I really wonder, are you surprised that I fed Assassin to Archer, or are you surprised that Emiya Shirou was Assassin?” Kotomine asks, his grin becoming slightly wider.  
  
  
  
“N-no…you…Kotomine-” you struggle to put your thoughts into words.  
  
“Ah, I understand now. I understand why you are so shocked, Matou Shinji. Come, I will answer one last question of yours.” Kotomine says in a gracious voice, staring at you like a lion at cornered prey.  
  
You clench your fists, and decide that it is best to ask the most important question- the question that you must ask now that your assumptions have been thrown into disarray. Steeling your voice and raising your head in determination, you ask your question.  
  
“Who is Archer, Kotomine?”  
  
“Hoh? Straight to the point? His true identity is…  
  
  
  


 

 

 

  
  
“…an archer.”  
  
“…”  
  
  
  
“What? Did you actually expect me to reveal my Servant’s identity, Matou Shinji?” Kotomine says. “Perhaps you truly are beyond salvation.”  
  
“…”  
  
He chuckles drily before walking over to you and placing a hand on your shoulder.   
  
“You truly are foolish, Matou Shinji.”  
  
You are unsure if you are angry or confused or both angry and confused, but you react violently, shoving his hand away.  
  
“Get away from me, you useless priest!” you snarl as turn around and stomp to the entrance of the room.  
  
As you do so, however-  
  
  
  
  
-A black dagger in your stomach. Blood on the floor. Vomit coming out from your mouth.   
  
A maniacal grin behind you from the Servant you will never learn about.   
  
You scream in despair, realising you never had any chance of leaving the room alive.   
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No  
  
  
  
 _"Sometimes, when a choice is too obvious, it could be a trap." - Kotomine Kirei, The Economist's Personality of the Year 2015_


	44. Day 9, Kariya's Pit 7

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: …  
  
Kariya: …  
  
Kariya: …I’m so worried that more of those freaky people will invade my Hint Corner again…  
  
Kariya: …seems like I’m alone today though, so the Kariya Pit can finally resume its duties to its fullest potential…!  
  
Kariya: That’s right, you died again! But this time, I can’t blame you. Kotomine Kirei is too smart!  
  
Kariya: Can it be, that he has finally ascended to author-hood, and hijacked the choices to troll the protagonist…? Would it be wise if you asked a more obvious question instead? And if Emiya Shirou is Assassin, then who is Archer…?  
  
  
  
Kariya: *sigh* So many questions, no answers at all. I really am a failure of a Hint Corner…  
  
Kariya: …no one is defending me or consoling me…?  
  
Kariya: I’m going to go cry in a corner now and vomit some bugs ;__;  
  
  
  
  
  
  
…  
  
…  
  
  
  
 **???: UGUUGUUU, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A VISITOR, KARIYA-KUN. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE~**


	45. Day 9, Bad End 8, Down in the Zero (Mapo Remix)

**1\. “Why do you like to eat mapo tofu?”  
**  


 

  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Down in the Zero (Mapo Remix)_  
**

  
  
  
  
  
You cannot believe it. What did Kotomine just say? That he is a Master? That he summoned two Servants? That Emiya Shirou, a half-baked magus, was a heroic spirit? And he was eaten by Archer? Your head swims with unease, and your mouth opens and shuts wordlessly as you try your best to say something.  
  
  
  
“Hoh? Are you that surprised, Matou Shinji? I really wonder, are you surprised that I fed Assassin to Archer, or are you surprised that Emiya Shirou was Assassin?” Kotomine asks, his grin becoming slightly wider.  
  
  
  
“N-no…you…Kotomine-” you struggle to put your thoughts into words.  
  
“Ah, I understand now. I understand why you are so shocked, Matou Shinji. Come, I will answer one last question of yours.” Kotomine says in a gracious voice, staring at you like a lion at cornered prey.  
  
You clench your fists, and decide that it is best to ask the most important question. But then-  
  
“Why do you like to eat mapo tofu?”  
  
-something unexpected slips out of your mouth. The question you wanted to ask has been forgotten, and a question that has been bubbling within you since you saw him eat hell itself tumbles out of you. You can only look on in despair as Kotomine laughs with perverse pleasure.  
  
  
  
“You truly are hopeless, Matou Shinji,” Kotomine says, walking towards you. He places a hand on your shoulder and you shudder as you feel his overwhelming presence.  
  
“But I shall answer your heartfelt question,” he continues, his face leaning in closer to yours. “After all…it’s the duty of a priest to answer the final prayers of a man.”  
  
  
  
You do not have any strength left in your body to escape, and you can only listen hopelessly as he answers your final question in your life.  
  
“Why, it is simple. I am a man of simple pleasures, and I, like every other sinner on this rotten world, crave pleasure. Do you know of the 英雄ではありませんTest, which people allegedly use to measure pleasure intake?”

  
“…no.”  
  
“Or perhaps the ロリコン test?”

  
“…no."  
  
"Me neither. They aren’t real.  
  
"…Don’t look so angry, I was merely testing your faith in my responses, Matou Shinji.  
  
“But if you must know, mapo tofu is-”  
  
  
  
  
  
“-ugh…!”  
  
  
  
— but even such a simple final answer is taken away from you as the Servant stabs you from behind, almost as if he were waiting for just the right moment to end your life on the cruelest note.  
  
As you crumble to your knees, you hear a baritone voice in front of you declaring your death, as if he were a envoy of hell.  
  
“Hoh? You killed him so quickly, Archer? Very well, Matou Shinji. Here is my parting gift to you instead.”  
  
  
_"— Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear._  
  
— Kyrie eleison.”  
  
“—Gah! Kotomine…!”  
  
You scream in defiance, trying to claw your way back into life as Kotomine recites lines that hold no power, but the dagger wound is too deep.  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	46. Day 9, Kariya's Pit 8 (?!?)

  
  
  
  
: Welcome to the special edition of—   
  
  
  
: —the one and only Illya Dojo!  
  
: A-a-and the temporary assistant, S-S-S—”  
  
: That useless Kariya, he’s not doing his job properly! Where did he crawl off to?  
  
: I-I-Illya-san, please let me spe—”  
  
: Osu! Let’s forget about that worm and enjoy today’s session! We’ve invited a guest today! Let’s welcome Mitsuzuri Ayako~  
  
: Hi everyone! Great to finally meet you all!  
  
: It’s too bad my first appearance is in a Hint Corner though, not in the main story…  
  
: Poor Ayako, she’s always abandoned by authors.   
  
: Illya-chan understands how I feel!   
  
: We always get thrown under the bus for blonde gaijin women, violent old hags and bags of worms.   
  
: Too bad I don’t have the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception in the Fate/Tsukihime universe. I would’ve claimed a route easily if I had them…!  
  
: But at least people still love us, unlike a certain girl…  
  
: Everyone loves me~  
  
  
  
: That’s for stealing my route!  
  
: …  
  
: Anyway, moving on from the depressing stuff, you died because you liked mapo tofu too much! It’s a nice dish, but it can really kill you! Even Shirou cannot take it in Heaven’s Feel, you know. If he questioned the power of the tofu, he would’ve ended up in a Tiger Dojo!  
  
: Well, it’s about time we wrapped this up, Illya-chan. Thanks for coming by and meeting us! See you next time!  
  
: Haaaaai~  
  
: See you, and makes sure you don’t get in onii-chan’s way, or I’ll be angry~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
: …


	47. Day 9, Count it to Zero

**2\. “Why is Emiya Shirou a Heroic Spirit?”  
**  


 

  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Count it to Zero_  
**

  
  
  
  
You cannot believe it. What did Kotomine just say? That he is a Master? That he summoned two Servants? That Emiya Shirou, a half-baked magus, was a heroic spirit? And he was eaten by Archer? Your head swims with unease, and your mouth opens and shuts wordlessly as you try your best to say something.  
  
  
  
“Hoh? Are you that surprised, Matou Shinji? I really wonder, are you surprised that I fed Assassin to Archer, or are you surprised that Emiya Shirou was Assassin?” Kotomine asks, his grin becoming slightly wider.  
  
  
  
“N-no…you…Kotomine-” you struggle to put your thoughts into words.  
  
“Ah, I understand now. I understand why you are so shocked, Matou Shinji. Come, I will answer one last question of yours.” Kotomine says in a gracious voice, staring at you like a lion at cornered prey.  
  
You clench your fists, and decide that it is best to ask the most important question. It is a question that has been gnawing at you with hunger greater than that of your curiosity about Archer’s identity. Steeling your voice and raising your head in determination, you ask your question.  
  
“Why is Emiya Shirou a Heroic Spirit?"  
  
“…”  
  
For once, Kotomine is speechless, and you watch a frown form on his face as the cogs in his brain turn rapidly in response to your question. For a couple of seconds, it is dead silent in the room, and the only things you can concentrate on in such a tense situation is the man before you and the bead of sweat trickling down your cheek.  
  
  
  
You feel a great unease, but you know that acting rashly could mean the end of your life, now that you know Kotomine is a Master. You stand your ground, however, and clench your fists even tighter, digging your nails into your palm to distract yourself from the pressure that Kotomine is subconsciously emanating as he mulls over your question.  
  
Then—  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kotomine Kirei bursts into laughter, his eyes wide with what can only be described as madness.  
  
“Ahahahaha! To think you would ask such a question without knowing how ironic it is…!”  
  
His laughter echoes around the room. While laughter would usually put people at ease, this laughter causes you to break out into cold sweat. You feel instinctively that it is _unnatural_ for Kotomine Kirei to laugh so happily.  
  
“Hey, Kotomine,” you say quietly, your right hand reaching for the dagger in your pocket. “What’s so funny?”  
  
  
  
Kotomine calms down and faces you, a ghost of a smirk on his face.  
  
“Ah, nothing. You never cease to amaze me with how close you are to the answer,” he says cryptically. Before you can tell him to explain, he continues cooly, “I’ll answer your question, Matou Shinji. But before that-”  
  
  
  
He walks over to you, and raises his right arm. “By the power of my command seal…  
  
“Archer, you are to refrain from causing physical damage to Matou Shinji.”  
  
“!”  
  
  
  
You cry out in surprise as Kotomine issues his command.  
  
“What…?”  
  
“It is nothing, Matou Shinji. This will…make things a bit more interesting,” Kirei says as he walks behind you to the entrance of the room. “Now then, before you leave, I’ll answer your question.”  
  
You have no idea what is going on anymore. It looked like Kotomine was going to kill you, but then he ordered his Servant not to…? You feel as if you were swimming against a strong river current, unsure of where it is leading you. So you decide that it is best to play along for now and listen to whatever Kotomine has to say. Your hand releases the dagger in your pocket and drops to your side.  
  
“—alright. How did Emiya become a Heroic Spirit, then?”  
  
“It is simple, actually,” Kotomine drawls, his brown eyes staring straight into yours, as if he could read your entire being just like that.  
  
“The Emiya Shirou that was summoned as Assassin contracted with Alaya and became a Counter Guardian. As such, with the Grail as it is, he can be summoned with the right catalyst,” Kotomine says. “I’m not sure how they were connected, but it seems like he had a connection with something on her at that time…”  
  
  
  
Kotomine trails off for a moment before he continues. “In any case, it is because he became a Counter Guardian that is can be summoned like this. Normally, no humans in the modern era can be heroic spirits, and so cannot be summoned. And the Servant I received was weaker than anything I expected. Does that answer your question, Matou Shinji?”  
  
It doesn’t.  
  
But something inside you tells you that it isn’t a good idea to say so. You nod slowly, carefully swallowing saliva to moisten your dry throat. You know that Kotomine knows more about Assa- no, Emiya, but you sense a window of opportunity to escape with your life intact.  
  
“So, can I go now?” you ask flatly, masking your fear behind your coarse tone.  
  
Kotomine merely smirks and moves to the side of the door, gesturing at the exit.  
  
  
  
“Why, of course,” he says, and you stride over to the exit as fast as you can without outright running towards it. “Hoh? Are you in a hurry? I do apologise for causing so much inconvenience, Matou Shinji.”  
  
  
  
“Yeah, whatever,” you reply, stepping out of the room, and heading up the staircase. As you reach the top, you hear a voice from below.  
  
“———Rejoice, Matou Shinji. Your wish will finally come true.”  


* * *

  
  
“—Kotomine.”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“—Why? Why did you do that?”  
  
“…why not?”  
  
“You—”  
  
“It’s not like the command is binding. Or are you saying you cannot kill him with such a weak restraining command?”  
  
“…fine, I’ll kill him sooner or later anyway. More importantly, what you said just now…  
  
“Who were you referring to, exactly?”  
  
“…”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**It’s noon already, and you haven’t really gotten that many answers from Kotomine. Your head is hurting from your clash against the Servant and your talk with Kotomine. But you have pretty much nothing to do for the rest of the day. You-  
  
1\. Go shopping for some seaweed. Watching Kotomine eat lunch made you hungry.  
2\. Go back home. You feel a slight chill, as if someone is following you…**


	48. Day 9, Matou

**2\. “Go shopping for some seaweed. Watching Kotomine eat lunch made you hungry.”  
**  


 

  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Matou_  
**

  
  
  
  
You leave the church, but your body refuses to stop trembling. The show of madness by Kirei, the revelations he made to you, Emiya Shirou, the enigma that is Archer…things are swimming around in your head, with no sign of stopping soon. You growl as you realise that you were so close to dying.  
  
  
  
“—and I could do nothing.” you spit out venomously. “I couldn’t even defend myself.”  
  
And it is true. Your life was spared on a whim, a whim from a priest who could very well be planning something else. You felt as hopeless as a plank of wood falling down a waterfall. You punch a nearby wall, and you hear the bones in your fist creak. You do not pay attention to the pain at all, as the pain in your heart is far greater.  
  
“What am I without Gil?” you ask yourself furiously. You pull out your black dagger.  
  
  
  
It is an old relic, one made of stone but sharper than normal metal due to its status as a Noble Phantasm. You feel almost as if you were the dagger: rusted, blunt, useless. However-  
  
“—but even this dagger made it into Gil’s collection.”  
  
And he had picked this dagger as a gift to you instead of the millions of other weapons he could have chosen. That act itself spoke volumes of the dagger’s worth.  
  
Which means you too, have worth. You simply have not found it yet.  
  
  
  
“…yeah. I must have some sort of destiny to fulfil. I’m not useless,” you say to yourself, as you start smiling again. Indeed, you were worrying for no reason. Questioning yourself for no reason. You do have a reason to exist.  
  
With that in mind, you decide to think about other things. Now that you’ve wasted half a day, you feel slightly hungry. “Ah, it’s noon already,” you say in a surprised voice as you check your watch. “Alright, time to go shopping for dinner.”  


 

  
  
A quick walk over to the shopping district, and you are set to go on a shopping spree.  
  
  
  
There are so many shops, but you don’t have all the time in the world. Come nighttime, Servant Archer would probably still be on the prowl, despite the Command Seal. So you decide to think of an ingredient and then run with it, making up your dinner as you go.  
  
“Hmm…I’m feeling like some seaweed today…” you muse as you walk into a store. You make your way to the dry foods section first, to pick up some snacks.  
  
  
  
And then-  
  
“—Matou Shinji.”  
  
A very familiar voice from behind you speaks up. You need not turn around to know who he is, but you do so anyway, out of panic.  
  
  
  
“Y-you…”  
  
Standing behind you is the Servant Archer, carrying a sack of rice in his hands.  
  
“Kotomine asked me to buy some food for dinner. I didn’t think,” he drawled in an annoyingly nasal voice. “that you would be crawling around here.”  
  
“Crawling?” you ask indignantly. “Hah, I’m preparing dinner too! I bet mine is better than yours, Archer.”  
  
“Oh? Really now? Come, Matou, show me what you’re making then.”  
  
“Hmmph,” you dismiss him, walking further down the aisle to the freezers. You know he cannot attack you in the middle of a shop, at noontime, so you feel very safe. The only issue is—  
  
  
  
—the rotten Servant, who keeps following you.  
  
You do your best to ignore him, heading over to a freezer, and taking out a bag of seaweed.  
  
“Ah, seaweed,” the unwanted voice comments. “It really does fit you, Matou. Soft and slimy, like a worm.”  
  
You whirl around in anger. “I am _not_ a worm, Archer.”  
  
  
  
The Servant does not even change his facial expression as he replies, “Of course you are, Matou. That’s why I’m winning the War, and you aren’t.”  
  
You grit your teeth and walk away, knowing that picking a fight here would be a very bad decision. But the Servant continues to follow you, commenting sarcastically on everything you buy.  
  
“Oh, only someone of your standard would buy instant rice.”  
  
“Hoh, using such cheap oil? Has the Matou fortune run out, or has dear Grandpa not given you pocket money yet?”  
  
“—ah, another bag of Wakame-brand seaweed? Truly, you are a perfect role model for worms.”  
  
And then he “accidentally” bumps into you, sending you flying into a shelf of gummy worms.  
  
  
  
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. I think my hand slipped and slapped an insect.”  
  
  
  
“Shut up, you asshole,” you snap at him.  
  
The Servant merely raises his slender eyebrow in reply. “Wow, such coarse words. Didn’t your Grandpa teach you not t—"  
  
He then tilts his head, as if remembering something.  
  
“—ah, that’s right, he thinks you’re useless.”  
  
You grip the products in your hands so tightly that your hands go completely white.  
  
  
  
But you swallow your anger, and walk to the cashier to pay. The Servant follows behind you, moving to another cashier, and paying just as fast as you do. As you grab the plastic bags of food you bought and walk out of the shop, he walks beside you, his face serene as ever. Then, he turns and says something weird.  
  
“—you know, I did it.”  
  
“Huh?” you ask, unsure of what he is referencing.  
  
“I raped the girls. You know, the ones you probably saw on the news. Too bad you didn’t get in trouble with the police though. I really wanted you to feel how much of a horrible person you are, before I kill you.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“—what…?”  
  
You cannot believe what you are hearing. So this is the guy who has been framing you…?!  
  
“—you…! What did I do to deserve this?”  
  
“And yet you are still in denial. You are the worst type of human, Matou Shinji. I merely wanted you to have a taste of your own medicine.” the Servant says cooly. “Which is why I killed the girl you raped in your school, so that you would be hunted down like the animal that you are.”  
  
" _Who are you?!_ ” you ask, your voice taut and your body ready to spring into action despite carrying your dinner.  
  
The Servant, however, merely smirks and turns around the corner. Looking around to see if anyone is near the two of you, he says words that you do not understand.  
  
“You already know. I’ll be seeing you tonight, Matou Shinji.”  
  
Just like that, he leaps onto a roof and leaves.  
  
You put down your plastic bags and think very hard. What did he mean by that? How could you know his identity? What would there be to point to whatever mythology he had come from? And then—  
  
  
  
  
  


 

_“—two girls have been sexually assaulted by a person they described as ‘having long blue hair—“_

_“—labeled one Matou Shinji to be the main suspect—“_

_“—and once again, it is reported that the rapist has long blue hair—“_

_“—Saegusa Yukika, has just been reported missing by her parents—“_

_“—who this Yukika is, alright? I don’t need to remember all the names of my fangirls—“_

_"—there is an enemy you must defeat somewhere close to you—“_

_“—the black blade striking from above you—"_

_“—had a deal. You said I can kill the brat—“_

_“—my Servant, Archer. He’s a bit impatient—“_

_“—contracted with Alaya and became a Counter Guardian—"_

_“—Can you keep up with me?”_

_“— isn't usable. ∆¬§∞•ª¢'s world and yours are different—“_

_“—feel how much of a horrible person you are, before I kill you—“_

_“—hunted down like the animal that you are—"_

_“———Rejoice, Matou Shinji. Your wish will finally come true.”_

  
  
  
—it all becomes clear. You have burst through the restraints in your mind and uncovered the truth at last. It is a realisation that lasts less than a fraction of a second, but you understand it all now. You have known who he is for a long time; you have merely been pretending not to know by choosing to ignore the hints in front of you.  
  
But it is clear you can no longer do so. He has begun the hunt.  


 

He is the hunter. You are the prey.

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

Matou Shinji’s prey.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**You will confront Archer no matter what you do tonight. But you have an advantage in that you can choose where to face him at, because he’ll be coming for you. You—  
  
1\. Stay in the Matou Manor, and prepare to fight him in the basement. You will activate your house's bounded field’s traps, which will probably slow him down.  
2\. Go to Kotomine’s. Take the fight to him, don’t let him dictate the pace.  
3\. Go to the Einzbern Forest. It’s probably the best place for you to hide and use a hit-and-run tactic against him.  
  
**  
  
  
  
WISEUP!!  



	49. Day 9, Einzbern

**3\. Go to the Einzbern Forest. It’s probably the best place for you to hide and use a hit-and-run tactic against him.**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A lone red figure steps into the cavern. She surveys the place. It is filled with a malice that she has never felt before, one that feels as if it could swallow her whole. And in the middle of the cavern—  
  
“—what is this…?” she asks, as she raises her red blade, ready to intercept any attack. “Pr-Shirou said it wouldn’t be like this until later…”  
  
  
  
She stares at the black hole at the top of the eerie structure. Everything about it screams _wrong_ to her senses, and she knows instinctively that it is her Praetor’s enemy. Or rather, it is humanity’s enemy.   
  
“—but it’s not coming out yet…” the Servant muses. She doesn’t know when it would come out, but it doesn’t feel too dangerous yet. They still have time.  
  
“No matter,” she says to herself. “Shirou told me to make sure no one meddles with this place. I’ll just stay here and vanquish it if it does come out.”  
  
It is rather empty bravado, as she lacks an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm that can take it out. But it is her duty to watch over this place and be the first to know of the impending disaster. She plants her sword in the ground and sits on a nearby rock, facing the entrance of the cavern.   
  
“If only you were a better mage, Shirou,” she grumbles. “Then I can just talk to you and I don’t have to stay in this…ugh.”  
  
She scrunches up her nose in distaste of the surroundings and hums a song as she begins her long wait for her Master’s return.   
  
“But I do wonder…who could have tried to wake this thing up?”  
  
Behind her, near the mass of curses, the darkness smiles in response.   
  
  
  


  
**Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Einzbern_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
It is nighttime. You are ready to face your future self. As you stand in your dining room, you face a dilemma. Should you stay at the Matou household and fight defensively with the aid of your bounded fields or take the fight to Archer at the Church?   
  
You shake your head. Both choices would lead you to your inevitable death. You know as much as anyone else does that you cannot fight a Servant, even if he is restrained by a Command Seal. So the best solution would be to avoid him, and try to outlast him. Where would be the perfect battleground to do so? You are left with but one choice.   
  
“The Einzbern forest,” you mutter to yourself. “That’s where I use a hit-and-run attacks.”  
  
You conclude that the forest is the best place in Fuyuki for such strategies. One could dive into the trees and come out again repeatedly to tire out opponents.   
  
It is not a perfect strategy. But it is one that leaves you with some chance of survival. You grab your book and your dagger, and set out, ready to confront whatever stands in your way.  
  


~~~

  
  
  
  
You reach the Einzbern Forest. No one would come to such a creepy place at night, and you are sure there will be no one disturbing your fight against Archer.   
  
—no, it is not a fight. You know that it is more of a desperate dance for survival. Gripping your book tight, you take a step into the forest…  
  
…but there is no bounded field. You were almost sure that there would be one for security, and had even brought your book to try and counteract it, but the Einzbern representative for this war appears to have neglected to put up one.   
  
“Hmm,” you wonder aloud. “It’s a bit suspicious after all.”  
  
But you can’t back out from the fight now. Archer called you a worm, and framed you for crimes you did not do. You have to settle that score with him. With that thought, you stride into the forest, all senses stretched to the fullest so you can react in a split-second.  
  
The deeper you walk into the forest, the more uneasy you become. It is quiet— too quiet. Not even the sound of insects are present. Only a slight breeze and the accompanying sound of rustling leaves reach your ears.   
  
You reach a small clearing. It is not a big clearing, but it is a small patch of ground that would leave you too exposed if you want to execute your plan. And then—  
  
  
  
—a spike of killing intent. Your vision grows watery from the sheer hatred directed at you. Almost instantly, you already know what is coming.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
You whirl around, snap open your book, and summon three shadow blades, barely deflecting arrows shot at you from somewhere in the forest. You take a look at them, and are surprised by the fact that they are but normal arrows. You cannot feel any hidden power in them, and they are as strong as the arrows you use in the archery dojo. But even then—  
  
  
  
  
“!”  
  
—you cannot lower you guard, as even one of them are enough to kill you. You deflect another barrage of arrows, this time diving into the trees for cover. You grasp the Formalcraft book extremely tightly as you catch your breath.   
  
“He’s…he’s actually—”  
  
“Did you think I wouldn’t use the same strategy as you, Matou Shinji?” a voice echoes around the clearing. “Come now, you should be smart enough to know that much.”  
  
You grit your teeth, and get up quickly, diving to another tree. As you open your book to send out a few shadow blades, the tree you were hiding behind just now is bombarded with blue arrows.   
  
“We can sense each other, you worm. Ever since I was summoned, I’ve been getting a few memories from you, even without meeting you,” Archer snarls, as if offended that he had to watch your daily activities. “You’re a pathetic worm, Matou Shinji. And you can’t run away—!”  
  
Now you understand why you saw the vision of a blue figure when you fought Caster. You had subconsciously called upon the memories of your future self in a desperate attempt to avoid death. So in a way, he had saved you…?  
  
“Shut up!” you cry as you ready your book again. It is inconceivable that you are still alive only because of that man. You cannot not accept the fact, and you will erase it with your shadow blades. But—  
  
  
  
You roll out of the way as a powerful arrow blasts into the ground near you, Archer not giving you time to prepare your attacks. As you look up, you realise you have rolled into the middle of the clearing.   
  
“—!”  
  
  
  
And standing across the space is a man dressed in blue and purple, colours that you are all too familiar with. And on his face is not loathing, but a calm smile, as if he had predicted all of this.  
  
“—as I was saying, Matou Shinji, you can’t run away.”  
  
He has put his bow back onto his back, and is unarmed. But even so, the sense of death he is emanating makes you reconsider charging at him. Instead, you back up a few steps, observing him.  
  
“Archer…you used magecraft to reinforce that arrow,” you say, your eyes narrowing as you process exactly what he had done. The arrows he had shot before that were normal ones, but the last one…it was too powerful to be unaided by magecraft.   
  
But, you think it can’t be true. He is Matou Shinji, a heir to a prestigious line of magi who cannot perform magecraft. How then, is he…?  
  
Archer sighs, and pulls out an arrow from his sleeve. “Are you truly that stupid, you pathetic excuse of a worm?”  
  
  
  
You clench your teeth in anger. “Don’t call me ‘worm’, you fake,” you snarl back.   
  
Archer merely laughs in retort. “That’s rich, coming from you,” he says, his mouth tilted up in a lopsided grin, but his eyes serious as ever. “Listen, Matou. I’m not like you. I’m not a pathetic existence like you, who derives pleasure from raping and torturing those beneath you. You’re trash.”  
  
“—oh really?” you ask, your snarl showing how indignant you are. “You raped those girls too, Archer. Don’t think so high and mi—”  
  
“I would never do such a thing,” he cuts in smoothly. “I lied to get you angrier, so you wouldn’t think twice about facing me. I merely made the girls think they were raped by knocking them out and dirtying their clothes.”  
  
He shrugs as he looks up at the moon. “They’ll forget about all of this soon enough. I’ve forced Kotomine to call in the Church to adjust their memories and cover up these incidents.”  
  
“Wow, you really do think of yourself as honourable, huh?” you growl. “You bastard, you’re Matou Shinji too! Insulting me is only insulting you…!”  
  
“…”  
  
  
  
Archer frowns upon hearing this, the first change in expression you see since the battle began.   
  
“I am…Matou Shinji…?”  
  
  
  
His eyes grow sharper, and his face turns to you, placing you under a demonic gaze.   
  
“I am _not_ Matou Shinji, not anymore. I have discarded that name ever since becoming an ally of justice.”  
  
“…ally of justice…?” You’ve heard that term somewhere before, but your mind is not working properly due to the blood pumping in your head.  
  
“That’s right, an ally of justice. I make up for my past misdeeds by becoming a sword for mankind. I refined my knowledge of Formalcraft to levels you can never imagine, Matou. I saved more lives than you can count. I became someone dependable,” Archer says. He brushes a hand through his long hair. “Before I met her, I was just like you, clueless about how wrong my actions were. But she taught me well. She taught me about the world, and how the true nature of humans, selfishness and hate, can be overcome if I work hard enough. So I did, and I sacrificed myself to save a town from a nuclear explosion. I even became a Counter Guardian, so that I can atone for my sins. And now...I’m here to clean up some trash, some remnant of my past.”  
  
He draws his bow, and reaches for an arrow, “It’s time for you to die, _worm_.”  
  
“—you…!” You flip open your book, but you know it is futile. There is no other spell recorded in there other than the shadow blades, and that would be useless if he were to shoot that reinforced arrow again.   
  
A magic circle glows on the back of his hand-guard, and the arrow glows neon-green. He notches it onto the bow.   
  
_”I am the worm of my pit.”_  
  
These words are spoken as if they are curses towards himself. You feel no power from them, but his body grows visually taut. He will release the arrow, and you will die. Such is the definite ending to this situation.  
  
…unless…  
  
“Hey! He’s a Servant, you know! He’s Kotomine’s Servant!” you scream at seemingly no one.  
  
“—shut up, you wor—”  
  
“I know you’re there! Come on! You Servant isn’t dead yet, right?”  
  
  
  
Archer releases the arrow. And in that moment—  
  
  
  
  
" — — — !”  
  
—your bet pays off. A black whirlwind lands in front of you, blowing away the arrow with a single swing of its axe-sword, as if it were a matchstick.  
  
“—! Berserker…!”  
  
  
Archer leaps back several metres, taking out another arrow, this time infusing it with a purple glow.  
  
And in the dim moonlight, the three of you stand quietly, the black giant having gone quiet after his initial response.  
  
Then—  
  
  
  
  
“You’re not as dumb as you look, Makiri~” a sing-song voice fills the air, and the blood in your veins freeze. It is a voice that belongs to nightmares, one that exudes both innocence and bloodlust, a combination so unnatural that you are rooted to the ground in fear. “Alright then, Berserker! Let’s get rid of the older one first. The other one is kind of useless.”  
  
She dismisses your existence as if you were but a insect on the ground, ready to be stepped on. But you will take this chance to escape. It is a window of opportunity in a battle you are destined to lose. You force energy into your legs, and you stumble into the forest, running as fast as you can away from the monsters gathered in the clearing.  
  
As you leave, you hear Archer laugh.   
  
“I’ll be back, little _worm_. You can’t evade justice forever.”  
  
  
 **You barely escape with your life intact, but you’ve made it through another day. However, you know that the winner of the fight in the forest will come and find you. What can you do to prepare for such an attack, you wonder. In the end, you decide—  
  
1\. to go to the Archery Dojo and train. It’s your best skill, after all.  
2\. to learn how to use the black dagger. It’s your trump card, after all.  
3\. to not prepare at all. It’s best not to overthink things, after all.  
  
ADDITIONAL CHOICE:  
There will be two interludes between Day 9 and 10. Which interlude would you like to see first?  
1\. Shirou and Lancer  
2\. Archer and Berserker**


	50. DAY 9 SUMMARY

...  
  
...  
  
...!  
  
 **DAY 9 STATUS - SURVIVED!!!**  
  
And after a whole lot of Bad Ends too! But you were up against Kotomine, so it was kind of to be expected. You did admirably well to choose the Einzbern Forest though, as no other places would have a loli and her little Servant show up to save your hide.   
  
Well then, all eight Servants have been identified, and only a few remain in the HGW. How long can you last...?   
  
Daily Achievements:  
  
School Days [√]  
Karma Biting Back [√]  
Face, Meet Bento [√]  
Tohsaka's Nasu [ ]  
Smelling The Sheets [ ]  
My Dagger Loves You Too [ ]  
Spreading 'Da Faith [√]   
We Had A Deal [√]  
Smelly Basement [√]  
Rejection Of Faith [ ]  
Poor Poor Heathen Shinji [ ]  
Run Little Master Run [ ]  
The Doorway To Hell [√]  
Mapo Mapo, Mapo Tofu [√]  
Questioning A Priest Directly [√]  
Honesty Is Not The Best Policy [√]  
Mapo Mapo What Art Thou [√]  
Kyrie Eleison (Mapo Remx) [√]  
Counter Guardian EMIYA [√]  
Yorokobe Shounen I [√]  
Wakame Is Love Wakame Is Life [√]  
Not A Worm Bruh [√]  
Shopping With A Hero [√]  
MATOU [√]  
Instant Ramen FTW [ ]  
Death By Worms [ ]  
(Matou) Tower Defence [ ]  
Sakura Avenged [ ]  
Church Bells [ ]  
Dumber Than Tiger Dojo 1 [ ]  
Bye-Bye Shin-chan [ ]  
Forest Of No Return [√]  
Nine Arrow Revolver [√]  
Ally Of Justice MATOU [√]  
The Loli Wants Attention [√]  
  
  
BONUS ACHIEVEMENTS:   
  
Kotomine's Award To The Mentally Impaired: [√] (Unlocked by choosing more than one wrong choice for a question)  
The Loli Strikes Back: [√] (Unlocked by viewing the Illya Dojo. What could she be planning...?)  
Chaste Hero: [√] (Avoided any 'ziiiip' scenes for a day! It's a miracle...!)  
  
  
Affection Rating (aka how much they adore Shinji):  
Matou Shinji: 100  
Emiya Shirou: -10  
Tohsaka Rin: -100  
Archer: -100  
Saber: -100  
Lancer: -100  
Berserker: 0  
Gilgamesh: 75  
Kotomine Kirei: 70  
Illyasviel von Einzbern: -10  
  
Saegusa Yukika: -100  
Makidera Kaede: -100  
Mitsuzuri Ayako: -100  
Himuro Kane: -100  
Fujimura Taiga: -100  
Ryuudo Issei: -100  
Sella: -50  
Leysritt: -50  
  
  
  
Kuzuki Souichirou: N/A  
Caster: N/A  
Rider: N/A  
Matou Sakura: N/A  
Matou Zouken: N/A  
Assassin: N/A  
  
Arcueid Brunestud: N/A  
Tohno Shiki: N/A  
Makiri Zolgen: N/A  
  
  
Useful notes: Kirei-kun seems to love your antics, so that's a +20 increase! Illya can't even give half a damn about you, so you've gone down to -10 in her book. Taiga and Issei have both realised you aren't coming to school, so their opinion of you have dropped drastically. Also, non-combatants of the HGW will have their memories altered after the end of the War, meaning you won't be reversing any -100 relationships without immense effort.  
  
There will be two interludes, and those two will clear up a few things, as well as set up some stuff for Day 11 and onwards...if you survive 'till then, that is. Be warned that tomorrow will be a very short day, so every choice matters!  
  
Now then, voting is still open; will you doom Shinji to a Bad End first or let him advance towards his True End...it's up to you! :D


	51. Day 9, Interlude 9-1 Brothers

  
  
The world is tumbling down around them.   
  
Blazing flames surround the city, eating away at the once-mighty buildings humanity had built.   
  
—no, more precisely, they are swallowing them, engulfing humans and megastructures alike in an inferno from hell. There is nowhere to run, as the city itself is surrounded by a tall wall of flames. The only word that can be used to describe such an event is ‘massacre’.   
  
And yet, all this destruction, all this madness was caused by a single entity. A single man who had lost his mind, bringing an entire city down with him.   
  
  
  
Cornelius Alba— a man who has defected from the Clock Tower with his Enforcer squad, and the one who has single-handedly caused the destruction of this city. His underlings do not need to raise even a single finger, as their leader has already taken care of everything.   
  
They walk amongst the sea of flames, almost as if they were unaffected by the heat and death around them. As they walk down what used to be a road in the city centre, they come across a man holding a steel pipe, standing in front of a little girl. He is of no relation to the girl aside from also surviving the first wave of flames. His clothes are singed and his face is smeared with his own blood. But he continues to defend her, as if driven by a heroic desire to save someone before he dies. He stands before a first-rate magus, and challenges him to a fight—  
  
—a snap of his fingers, and the man explodes into flames.   
  
It cannot even be called a fight. It is a simple extermination, as natural as stepping on an ant when walking down a road. Cornelius Alba does not even need to look at the man to know he is already dead. He waves his hand, and two of his underlings step up to kill the last survivor of this city.  
  
But as they do so—  
  
  
  
  
Three slashes. Two from the right, one from the left. A combination manoeuvre that is well-drilled into him, and one that he now executes.   
  
As Cornelius Alba’s head falls from his body, the rest of the Enforcers turn to face the newcomer. Having jumped from a nearby building, they have not managed to sense him at all until he had executed his attack. His moves are efficient and plain, moves that befit an assassin. Yet, the twin falchions he holds are that of a warrior’s. They glow menacingly in the orange backdrop, as if inviting his enemies to face him.  
  
Having just lost their leader, the Enforcers do not charge blindly towards him. They can sense that the man in front of them is no ordinary human. They merely take their stances, preparing whatever magecraft they have had in store.   
  
Five seconds pass.  
  
An Enforcer cannot take it anymore. “He’s an assassin, he can’t beat us in the open—!” he yells as he dashes towards the man.  
  
  
  
—and he is shot down by a trio of blue arrows. Yet another man appears, this time leaping from a first floor window. He rolls on the ground and gets up stylishly, placing his bow back onto his back. Then, as if he had done so many times before, he draws an obsidian dagger as he backs up to the other man.   
  
And as if it were the most natural thing to do in such a tense situation, he take out a cigarette and lights it with flames from a burning car next to him. He takes a long draw, and then holds it next to his mouth, as if contemplating something. Then, he nudges his partner.  
  
“Hey, I thought I was going to to shoot Alba,” he growls.   
  
His partner retorts immediately. “And I thought you said you quit smoking.”  
  
“Look, we’re not going to make it out of here, so let me do what I want, 'kay?”  
  
Even as he says so, the Enforcers begin to slowly advance upon them, closing the circle of death around them bit by bit.  
  
His partner does not respond for a moment, merely sighing as if he had confirmed something through his previous line.  
  
Then, he asks the question he has been withholding this entire mission. “So you’ve made up your mind, huh?”  
  
The man grins in response and raises his dagger, taunting the Enforcers.   
  
“What, to be a Counter Guardian? Of course. My goal has been to become one ever since the end of the War” he says as he elbows his partner in the back. “What, you chickening out, Emiya?”  
  
Emiya sighs again. “You really are set on killing your past self, huh? Well then…” he says quietly. He thrusts copious amounts of prana into his limbs. “Let’s meet again somewhere in the afterlife, Shinji.”  
  
Shinji does not respond, as the Enforcers have already begun to rush towards them. The Formalcraft circles on his white jacket glow with mana.   
  
  
  
He throws his cigarette onto the ground. The two men charge towards their foes, never taking even a glance back at each other. It is an absolute display of trust— they trust each other to cover their back, a trust built up upon thousands of battles.   
  
Two cynical, childish men who could not grow up from their dreams of becoming allies of justice.   
  
_”I am the bone of my sword. Trace, overedge!”_  
  
 _”I am the worm of my pit. Unstoppable Harem Worms, activate!”_  
  
  
  


**  
Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
Interlude 9-1  
 _Brothers_  
**

  
  
  
  
  
They stand fifteen metres apart, a distance that can be easily closed by the black giant.   
  
—in other words, the distance might as well be not taken into consideration in this fight.   
  
“I’ll be back, little worm. You can’t evade justice forever.”  
  
The man in blue does not turn away from the Servant as he says so, his eyes betraying the slight discomfort he feels.   
  
  
  
“Now then, you wish to face me, Master of Berserker?” he drawls as he takes a slight step forward.   
  
  
  
The grin on the girl’s face grows larger and more predatory.  
  
“That’s right, Archer. Or should I call you Matou?”  
  
  
  
“Maa, you really do like to taunt your enemies, huh? You really are heartless, Illyasviel von Einzbern.”  
  
  
  
“Only towards weak Servants like you, Matou. Besides, you’re the one who’s invading my forest~”  
  
Archer grins in response. “Oh come now, Illyasviel. Surely your brother taught you that sharing is caring. Besides, I’m your brother’s best friend, you know.”  
  
  
  
“Not in his world, you aren’t,” she replies in a sing-song voice. “I don’t know where you came from, but you’re onii-chan’s enemy here~”  
  
“Oh? Really now?” Archer asks casually. “But still, I wouldn’t want to hurt his sister in a fight. I owe him too much to do that, Illya.”  
  
Illya’s red yes narrow in excitement. “Oh, that’s assuming you can even hurt me, Matou.” she says. She gestures to the giant beside her, “And that’s also assuming you can beat Berserker.”  
  
Archer raises a slender blue eyebrow. “That’s not even an assumption, Illya. We both know I can’t beat Berserker’s God Hand.”  
  
“See? Matou, you have n—”  
  
  
  
“But,” he cuts in, smoothing his hair with his left hand. “That’s assuming Berserker still has his stock of lives.”  
  
  
  
“…”  
  
“Your fight with Gil, that cost you your entire stock, right? And since Berserker’s last life was hurt so badly, you shouldn’t have regenerated a life yet,” he says, taking out an arrow and pointing it straight at Illya. “In other words, the Berserker I am facing right now is just as mortal as I am…!”  
  
  
  
“…I’m impressed, Matou.” Illya says, swaying in the nighttime breeze. “I thought you were just a useless Servant trying to copy what onii-chan does, but you’re not half bad.”  
  
“Oh, my aria and my entire fighting style is based off him,” Archer replies flippantly. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t think for myself, Illya. You see, I’m not like the Matou Shinji in this world. I’m an ally of justice.”  
  
He looks up at the full moon. “I became a Counter Guardian just for this slim chance, to get to kill Matou Shinji and end his tyranny before it starts. I regret becoming a cleaner, and something I would have never wanted to become…but this chance is worth it. Stand aside, Illya. I won’t fight you unless I have to.”  
  
Illya pauses her swaying for a moment. Then—  
  
  
  
“I’m sorry, Matou-kun, but I have to win this war. That means killing you too~”  
  
Archer nods to himself. “I see. That’s unfortunate then. If I want to kill Berserker, I only have one way to do so. Even if I survive, killing Matou Shinji may be a bit more…annoying.”  
  
“Well then, go kill him, Berserker~”  
  
“ — — —!”  
  
“…!”  
  
Archer immediately drops the arrow he is holding and leaps into the trees.   
  


_”I am the worm of my pit.”_

  
  


~~~

  
  
Illyasviel von Einzbern stands in the pale moonlight by herself. Her Servant has gone to pursue his retreating foe, and she is left alone to her thoughts. She fiddles with a bit of silver string she conjures up, and makes two bird familiars.   
  
“Make sure no one disturbs me, you two.”  
  
She knows that this fight could have been avoided. Matou Shi—no, Archer is not a horrible person. She can feel his sincerity and his drive towards his goal to kill his past self. And she would normally have no qualms about letting someone kill the worm that is Matou Shinji. But—  
  
 _“I’ll do whatever you want, Illya. Anything that makes you happy.”_  
  
She has to repay him somehow, even if it means sacrificing her Servant to weaken this Archer. As it stands, he knows too much about her brother. Even if he is from another future, her brother only knows of one fighting style. He would become a major threat to him if he was forced into fighting him, perhaps through generous usage of Command Seals, something she knows the priest would do, just for the fun of it.   
  
Then, she notices the arrow Archer had dropped. She walks over to it, and bends down to pick it up.   
  
  
  
Can it even be called an arrow? It is a shorter than what most would consider the average length of an arrow, and it is made of a black steel she doesn’t know of. And tied to it is a little note with a messy scrawl on it.   
  
“…ah.”  
  
She grips the arrow tightly and begins her walk back to the castle. The first and final gift her brother’s best friend will give her will change the War in ways she could have never imagined.   
  


~~~

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ — — —!”  
  


_“—Sin is my body and felony is my blood.”_

  
  
The battle rages on, with a Servant dashing away at top speed while another closes in on him.  
  
If Archer is a blue comet that streaks across the trees, then Berserker is a burning black asteroid that smashes into all that stands in his way. Both of them demonstrate their inhuman agility as they race across the forest.  
  


_“—I have performed over a thousand crimes.  
Unaware of right, nor aware of wrong.”_

  
  
  
  
  
Berserker is faster than Archer. It is a fact that cannot be denied. Even in his madness, his sheer physical prowness is far above Archer’s and he can easily outstrip him in a normal chase. But he cannot close in on his prey.  
  
His foe is wise, having chosen such a battlefield to fight in. The trees do not impede him much, but the little resistance they offer is enough to stay his blade. Unlike Berserker, who has to crash into trees to continue his pursuit, Archer skilfully weaves his way through the branches, his speed at a calm constant.  
  


_“—Have withstood hate to perform diabolic deeds._

  
  
Archer swerves unpredictably and leaps without hesitation to another part of the Forest, making Berserker take a wrong step and lessen his gains again. And as if to pile on the misery, he blasts a few more bolts of prana towards his foe without even looking back.  
  
  
  
But they do nothing. Even his Formalcraft, prepared over long periods of time in order for him to use any sort of magecraft, has no use against the crystallised legend that is God Hand.   
  
—so, he must use his most powerful attack.  
  


_“—Waiting for her once more.  
My regrets are many. But I must walk my path."_

  
  
The words he says, he knows they are meaningless. Unlike his best friend, he holds no secret technique or distortion within him. He certainly does not have a magecraft as rare and powerful as a Reality Marble. The words are simply there to calm him, to let him remember what he stands for, as an ally of justice.   
  
—no, if he was to be honest with himself, the words are not that of justice. They are to remind himself of his selfish desire to kill himself. He knows that his evil deeds will never be washed away, even if he kills his past self. It does not help anyone in any way, something that would go against his — and Emiya’s — moral code. But it is his one selfish desire.   
  
He lived to kill himself. He died to kill himself. But now he must survive to kill himself.   
  
  
All he has is a bastardised Formalcraft, a bow some arrows, and a black dagger. But that is enough. The final remnant of his tie with his Servant is his trump card, the one thing he can be proud of in his life.  
  


_“—I condemn my whole life, Unstoppable Harem Worms."_

  
  
He takes a deep breath, and then exhales slowly, his clothes lighting up in the gloomy forest as magic circles take in mana from the surroundings. He stops running and stands still, awaiting his foe to reach him.  
  
The black giant is only fifty metres away, and reaching him would take merely two seconds.   
  
But he has done all he can, and if he can’t beat Berserker in the next two seconds, he can’t beat him at all.  
  
He draws his bow with his left hand, and his dagger with his right. He pours the mana he absorbed into the dagger, and it cracks visibly, glowing blue.   
  
He notches it onto the bow, and turns around to face his enemy.  
  
One second.   
  
“ — — —!”  
  
The black giant is twenty-five metres away, and he will close that gap in one second.   
  
—but the outcome of the match is already decided. The nameless dagger, a Noble Phantasm in its own right, held taut against the quivering bowstring.  
  
“Broken Phantasm — Gilgamesh!”  
  
The name of his Servant. It is the name he has given to it, for it is the final memento she has left him. It would be blasphemous to name a nameless dagger after the King of Heroes, but he had done so, and his Servant simply laughed and accepted it.  
  
 _”Your audacity is tremendous, Shinji. And yet even so, you remain completely loyal to me. You truly are special. I really do look forward to seeing you grow into this ‘ally of justice’ role you want to be so much.”_  
  
He smiles, remembering that fond memory. And then he pushes it away as he focuses all the mana he absorbed into the dagger.   
  
The black giant stands before him, his sword upraised, ready to smash him into bloody bits.  
  
But that is what he has been waiting for. At point-blank range, Berserker can do nothing to stop his attack.   
  
And so he releases it.  
  
  
  
  
  
“ — — —!”  
  
In an instant, Berserker dies one final time, an arrow piercing his heart. And in that instant, he regains his sanity. His clouded mind is now in his control, for the last fraction of a second he has in this world. But he is grateful for it.  
  
Berserker, or perhaps more aptly, Heracles, shifts his sword away from his enemy, and pulls his body to the left as much as he can so that he does not fall onto him. He has been defeated by a mere man with nothing but a nameless Noble Phantasm and his courage. It is nothing to scoff at, and no one can laugh at this man. He has performed a miracle.   
  
And he, the hero of madness, must not dirty such a miracle with his axe or his disappearing body.   
  
“You truly are an ally of justice. Be proud at what you have accomplished, Servant of the Bow,” he wishes to say. But his time is up, and he can only flash a final smile of defeat at his enemy.   
  
And his enemy acknowledges it by nodding once. If Berserker could have grinned in delight, he would have. Such a battle was priceless, a battle worth more than any fight against any powerful foe.   
  
Berserker dissipates into blue fumes of prana, dying in the best way he can — defeated by an enemy whose courage was greater than his.   
  
—leaving Assassin standing in the middle of the forest, on a cold winter’s night, under the beautiful moonlight.  
  
“…are you proud of me, my Queen?”

 

WISEUP!!  
  
  



	52. Day 9, Interlude 9-2 Genesis

 

  
  
He is born under a red sky.  
  
An expanse of crimson that stretches over his head and past the horizon. A beautiful sight, but one that carries a deeper meaning. Liners and A-Rays alike would not know what to make of it. It is their last hope, a barrier keeping out the Aristotles, but also their cage, reminding them of the cosmic horrors just above their atmosphere. A hopeless fight. Seventy-seven Ether Liners, the knights of the Liners, and less than a hundred A-Rays, up against the rest of the planets’ Ultimate Ones.  
  
It is in these circumstances, under the crimson sky, that Ado Edem is born.  
  
He is gifted with a rare ability, having been infused with Grain in his body when he was still developing as a fetus. But neither he nor his parents know about it. A normal child in a normal family - living the normal, desperate lives that Liners live.  
  
Ado Edem learns many things, such as how Liners were once almost wiped out as a race due to a catastrophic event, but either adapted or modified themselves to survive in the new Grain-rich environment. The A-Rays are their enemies, artificially created before the death of the world. They had challenged the Liners for supremacy over the dead husk that used to be Gaia. He also learns that the seventy-seven Ether Liners, who could form Knight Arms with crystallised Grain, are the heroes of humanity; and that without them, they would have perished in the Great War against the A-Rays. There were also the Six Sisters, once the rulers of the A-Rays, who had turned the sky red with Type-Pluto’s blood and erected a barrier to stop the last two Aristotles from entering the dead planet. Only three Aristotles remain on the planet, one of which slumbers in a deserted continent.  
  
He also learns that there used to be a blue sky.  
  
It is in the last years of the Great War when Ado Edem matures. The world is in chaos; the two Aristotles are slowly but steadily razing the planet, yet the Liners and A-Rays continue to fight each other. He joins his fellow Liners on the front line against the A-Rays, but he is just another soldier – one of many nameless faces who are but sacrificial pawns to continue the war. This continues until the Ether Liners and the A-Rays finally come to understand who the true foes are.  
  
It is on his twentieth birthday when the Liners and A-Rays finally form an alliance against the Aristotles. Before that, the Ether Liners had worked with a few A-Rays to defeat Type-Mars, an Ultimate One that unlike its fellow Aristotles, wasted no time in destroying everything alive. Without a formal alliance, however, both groups returned to fighting each other after Type-Mars was defeated.  
  
Despite the agreement to cooperate, the situation grows increasingly dire. The Six Sisters had died in exchange for sealing Type-Neptune and Type-Uranus above the atmosphere; the Ether Liners grow weary of battle; the remaining Aristotles advance steadily.  
  
One day, Ado Edem awakens to his power, and he summons his Knight Arm for the first time. His weapon is unlike any other— it is a blade that expands at the speed of thought, and can grow as large as his enemy. It grants him the power to kill the Aristotles in a single slash, in exchange for consuming the planet. Able to be concealed in an unassuming seed-like form, it is a weapon that knows no equal in his age.  
  
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he joins the Ether Liners as the seventy-eighth knight and exterminates Type-Jupiter in a battle above the Western Continent. The Ultimate One, who had exterminated most of the world with its black photon gas, does not stand a chance. Its core goes out of control, and incinerates the entire continent.  
  
And so Ado Edem returns not as a hero, but as a villain - a man who is directly responsible for the destruction of an entire continent.  
  
Despite this, no one dares to denounce him. He is the only one who can end the war without more bloodshed. Ado Edem knows this, and devotes his time to training his body in hopes that he can serve his fellow Liners and save the world from more pain.  
  
The following year he kills Type-Saturn - a relay unit for the Aristotles. This time its brethren responds. The being that had slumbered for millennia awakens, and slaughters everything in its way. The final battle has begun.  
  
Ado Edem prepares for battle, knowing that if he is able to succeed, there will finally be peace. Unfortunately, his overwhelming power caused both the Liners and A-Rays fear the only one who could grant them victory.  
  
They naturally fear what they could not comprehend, and Ado Edem had long since surpassed the term “Ether Liner”. He is the pinnacle of what humanity can achieve.

Rather than taking advantage of their only hope, they lock Ado Edem in a castle with a thousand chains, and proceed to battle the undefeated, nigh-indestructible Aristotles.  
  
One by one the knights fall, and one by one the A-Rays edge closer to extinction.  
  
And yet, they refuse to let him fight.  
  
Ado Edem, the sword of the Liners, is chained down and left to rust as the world died around him.  
  
He cries out in desperation, struggling against his chains and cursing his fate. He has failed to protect his people, and he can only regret his actions.  
  
And then when it is almost over, when almost the entire world had been defeated, he manages to loosen his chains. He knows there is no more hope, and that the world is beyond saving. Even so, he knows there is a way for him to prevent this from ever happening again. He summons his Knight Arm from the seed in his palm one last time.  
  
He directs his attack on himself.  
  
As the world grows dark under the final Aristotle’s power, Ado Edem dies by his own hand and becomes a guardian of humanity, hoping that he would somehow save the world from its ghastly fate.  
  


 

**  
Day 9  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side  
Interlude 9-2  
_Genesis_  
**

  


 

  
  
“Lancer…”  
  
“…yes, Shirou-san?”  
  
“Do you think it’s really asleep?”  
  
“I would guess so. If it isn’t we probably would be dead by now.”  


 

  


  
  
They stand in front of what appears to be a crystallised forest, the trees and shrubbery gleaming even in the misty moonlight. While they stand on unaltered grass, the grass a few metres ahead of them shine with an unearthly glow. And there is no sound coming from the forest. No beasts, no insects, not even the slightest of breezes passing through it. It is almost as if the forest exists on another plane of existence, outside of the great Reality Marble of Gaia. It is a sight that would cause any person to stare in awe—  
  
—and then recoil in fear when they realise exactly what it is.  
  
It is foreign, extraterrestrial, just like how the Crimson Moon was never meant to be on this planet. But if Crimson Moon was like a virus seeping into the world with his Dead Apostles, this place is like a festering wound that will never close. Such is the place feared by magi, vampires and Church members alike— Crystal Valley.  
  
Anything that steps within Crystal Valley is no longer subjected to the laws of Gaia, and instead are at the mercy of something else entirely. It can be compared to a Reality Marble, but it is on a completely different level. Even the former Fifth Dead Apostle Ancestor, a monster in his own right, had fallen victim to it, dying in mere seconds.  
  
But more dangerous than Crystal Valley is the being who had created it in the first place. After all, such a power is but a _passive ability_ of a slumbering being—  


 

  


  
  
—standing forty metres tall and towering above the forest itself.  
  
ORT, or Type-Mercury, an alien being that cannot be described in any human way. With a passive ability serving as an impregnable shield, it has had slumbered for millennia, waiting for the call of its brethren. There are no words to describe it, for there are no words that humanity has devised to describe that which is completely unknown to Gaia’s laws. And there is no way to fight it, for it does not follow the laws of Gaia.  
  
In other words, it has no concept of death. One would have to completely destroy its body to defeat it, a feat that is impossible with Crystal Valley constantly activated.  
  
As if to further highlight how impregnable its defence is, the Wizard Marshall himself had declined getting rid of it. By refusing to even consider fighting it, he sent a clear message to everyone— if they are below him in power, they don’t stand a chance of winning against this monster.  
  
“You called me here just to look at this tin can?”  
  
The baritone voice of the person next to them growls out in annoyance.  
  
  
  
Lord El-Melloi II, a famous lecturer in the Clock Tower, accompanies the two heroes. Shirou had asked Tohsaka to send him a letter, telling him that a Servant and a Master of the Fifth Holy Grail War will require his presence in South America for a small project involving a Noble Phantasm. His curiosity piqued, he sends a cordial letter back, stating his interest.  
  
His disposition as he stands with them now, however, is far from cordial.  
  
“I thought you said there was something interesting. This…this is just ORT. What’s so special about it?”  
  
Shirou blinks in confusion. “It’s an Aristotles. Surely that’s interesting enough?”  
  
“—no, it’s not!” Lord El-Melloi II retorts angrily. “Look, this thing has been here since who knows when. It doesn’t care about us, we don't care about it. I didn’t come all the way out here to see this tin can with some boy who hasn’t seen it before!”  
  
He takes a long draw from his cigar and walks away from the two. He mutters venomously, “Goddamn Nips, the only thing they’re good for is making vid—“  
  
“—destroy it from here?”  
  
“…what.” El-Melloi II states flatly as he overhears their conversation.  
  
“—I don’t see how distance is a problem, Shirou-san. It’s just a matter of whether the concept applies to it—”  
  
“…wait! Waitwaitwait!” he shouts as he runs back to them. “Did you…did you just say you wanted to—”  
  
“—Destroy it?” the Servant asks nonchalantly. “Why else would we be here?”  
  
“That’s why we called you here, as a representative of the Clock Tower,” Shirou adds. “This way, you guys don’t have to worry about where this thing has gone.”  
  
“…are you insane?”  
  
El-Melloi II cannot believe what he is hearing. A being millennia old, with no concept of death, and they speak so casually about killing it.  
  
Lancer merely ignores his question and turns to Shirou. “Well, Aristotles are made mostly of Grain, so I’m not sure how it’ll disperse when I cut it in half.”  
  
Then, he blinks and adds quickly, “Assuming I can actually cut it in half, that is. I’ve never fought an Aristotles with such an ability before.”  
  
Shirou merely shrugs. “Well, if your Knight Arm can’t kill it, the world’s doomed anyway. We should try, at the very least.” he says. Then, he looks at Lancer directly. “After all, this thing killed both of our worlds.”  
  
El-Melloi feels he is out of the loop. Nothing they speak of makes any sense to him.  
  
“—Grain? Knight Arm? Worlds? What on earth are the two of you talking about?”  
  
Lancer glances over at him dispassionately. “Nothing you need to know of. Just know that this is a monster both of us must overcome,” he says as he materialises his black helm and armour. “For now, just stay back and watch.”  
  
“…look, I don’t know what Heroic Spirit you are, bu—”  
  
“Whenever you’re ready, Lancer.”  
  
“Then I’ll activate it, Shirou-san.”  
  
Shirou walks away from Lancer, and sends a look towards El-Melloi II, as if telling him to come with him if he doesn’t want to die.  
  
Just as he is about to complain about being ignored, he is hit by a red wave of…something from the Servant. It isn’t prana, yet he feels immense power from it nonetheless. He wisely takes a few steps back.  
  
“That is no ordinary Servant,” he mutters to himself. Even his Servant, the King of Conquerers did not hold this much power within him.  
  
“Servant Lancer…what is your Noble Phantasm?”  


 

* * *

  


In front of him, the seed embedded in Lancer’s right palm pulses, producing a swirling red vortex of pure Grain around his hand.

Then, it awakens.

  


  
  
Bones white as snow grow out of Lancer’s entire hand. It is a growth that looks cancerous, as if they were desperate in escaping as his proof of his knighthood decompresses itself into the open. They are twisted and grotesque, spires of bone that should not exist within a human. And yet, all eyes are drawn to it, as it grows ever larger, forming a cage of ivory tipped by hints of black.  
  
And on one spire, the black tip erupts into a dagger-like blade, facing towards the ground. Lancer turns to Shirou, as if asking for one last confirmation.  
  
Shirou nods, and the blade extends downwards, stabbing the ground and rooting itself within the crust. Other spires of bone next to it fuse with the blade as it grows wider.  
  
“Target: Type-Mercury,” Lancer whispers. And the moment these words leave his lips—  


 

  


  
  
—the blade _grows._  
  
—no, one cannot call it ‘growing’, for growing would refer to something increasing in size over time. But this is different. A moment before that, the blade is about a metre long. A moment later, and it is forty metres long.  
  
It expands at the speed of thought, a speed that would only be bested by instantaneous attacks. The origin of its power is not the user, but rather, the planet itself. The Knight Arm takes a chunk of the world in payment for its absolute dominance, its absolute promise of victory to its user.  
  
It is, in a way, a representation of humanity itself: it feeds on the world and preys on it, but depends on its existence to continue functioning.  
  
Even Emiya Shirou, who knows of how this Noble Phantasm works in theory, is awed by its presence. He steps back involuntarily, his eyes fixated on the towering black blade, the ultimate expression of humanity’s power.  
  
Lancer does not notice this, nor does he notice anything that is happening around him. His face, under his black helm, is dotted with beads of sweat as he prepares his blade attack in an atmosphere with no Grain. While most of the power is sapped from the world, it still requires him to expend a copious amount of Grain from himself to activate its ability.  
  
_“So this is how Shirou-san feels when he projects…?”_ he thinks. _“But…what is this pain when compared to—”_  
  
He grits his teeth and begins to fly upwards. Propelled by his black armour, he can stay in the air for extended periods of time. The blade stabbed into the ground hisses and rises up slowly, released from its source of power. As it does so, the ground beneath Lancer cracks and splits with a resounding roar. The crevice and the land next to it is completely lifeless, an extension of the planet that is completely drained. Nothing but glass and steel will grow on it until the end of time.  
  
But Lancer is not concerned, and neither is Shirou. Both of them know very well that the alternative is a completely dead world.  
  
As he flies up above the crystal trees, Lancer focuses on his target. He keeps a wary distance away from the boundaries of Crystal Valley, but other than that, he pays no attention to other factors.  
  
His mind is clear. There is no hesitation, and there is no doubt in his heart. This is why he chose to be a Counter Guardian. This is his duty.  
  
This is his purpose.  
  
He raises his right arm. The weight of the sword is nothing to him.  
  
And with a bellow that would shake the very heavens, Ado Edem calls out his Knight Arm’s true name.  


 

  


 

**“Knight Arm: Slash Emperor!”**

  
  
The sword paints the sky around it blue, and it descends mercilessly upon the alien.  


 

* * *

  
  
Emiya Shirou stands far below Lancer, rooted to the ground as he is only able to gape at the sheer implausibility of Lancer’s ultimate attack. It is a sword that has transcended all weapons, the absolute crystallisation of the pinnacle of humanity.  
  
But he is able to understand part of it, due to Lancer’s explanations as they travelled to South America. For one, he knows that the blue glow around the sword isn’t actually a blue glow. It is the sword parting the very skies to reveal the “true” blue sky.  
  
This is because the Slash Emperor forces the concept of ‘Truth’ upon its foes. Anything in its path is eradicated, as if it were carrying the collective will of humanity on its edge.  
  
It is a sword that knows no peer on Earth, but now it is about to meet its first true test: the ultimate being of the ultimate beings.  
  
The sword swings through the air, and reaches the aerial boundaries of Crystal Valley—  


 

  
  


  
  
—and continues downward, its concept triumphing over ORT's ability.  
  
And in less than a second, it reaches the Aristotles’ body, and cuts into it without any resistance, slashing across the silver-green body from the top right.  
  
—but. The sword stops halfway. It is not that the sword cannot slice through it completely.  
  
Rather, it is Lancer himself who cannot continue.  
  
Blood drips from his helm as he coughs up crystallised Grain. The very fact that he has been able to materialise his blade in such an alien environment is already a feat in itself. Carrying out his most powerful attack had strained his body to its limits, and he has to pay for it.  
  
“N-No…” he growls in agony and despair. “Not right now…”  
  
He wills his arm to move. And the sword rises slightly to deliver the final blow. But then—  


 

  
  
ORT awakens.  
  
The most powerful of the Types awakens from its slumber a thousand years too early. But it has awakened to defend itself from perishing before the promised time. The lines on its body begin to grow green for the first time in more than seven thousand years.  
  
Then Lancer feels _it_. He does not know what it is, for there is no way to describe something that he can never understand, but it is a feeling of death. If it had eyes, maybe ORT was staring at him. Or maybe it was directing its anger at him. But ORT is a being that has transcended sensory organs and emotions.  
  
Lancer cannot comprehend anything about it, but he knows he is about to die for awakening it. The feeling of death is absolute, just like Slash Emperor’s absolute power. He does not know how, but he knows from his very core, and in every fibre of his being, that he will die.  
  
_"—Is this the power of Type-Mercury…?”_ he wonders to himself. _“Then…it was only natural that I wouldn’t be able to beat it. Not when I’m like this.”_  
  
He closes his tired eyes, but as he does so—  
  
“—is that all you have, Future King of Humans?”  
  
He hears a voice call out to him.  


 

  
  
  


  
  
—accompanied by a whirring sound that eclipses all other noises in the area.  
  
It grows louder and louder, and Lancer tiredly turns his head to the left.  


 

  


  
  
Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, stands next to him, decked in full golden armour, holding a cylindrical crimson sword aloft. Lancer instinctively knows that the sword is like no other. Just like how his Slash Emperor stands above all weapons in his time, this sword stands above all of humanity in this era.  
  
“I saw your attack,” Gilgamesh says, his voice somehow carrying itself above the sound of his sword. “You really do stand on the same ground as I, Future King.”  
  
“…what…?” Lancer asks, his mind clouded by exhaustion. But as his eyes meets the golden Servant’s red ones, his mind begins to clear, knowing that the man who stands before him is no ordinary Servant. “You are Gilgamesh...!”  
  
“For a man to finally obtain the power that I wield…and one that isn’t chosen by the Gods…” Gilgamesh says excitedly. “Hah! I was right to have come out here! Now, tell me your name!”  
  
“Ado Edem, the seventy-eighth Ether Liner, and wielder of the Knight Arm Slash Emperor,” Lancer spits out the blood in his mouth as he replies.  
  
“Well met, King Edem!” Gilgamesh laughs as the sword he is holding spins even faster. “Now that you’ve shown me your ‘Truth’, let me show you my ‘Truth’…!”  


 

  
  


  
  
If Lancer’s Slash Emperor was an unstoppable slash of pure power, then Gilgamesh’s attack is an inescapable vortex of pure power. A layer of wind, compressed and accelerated to levels that transcend space and time, creating an artificial space-time dislocation. The crushing spatial rends would obliterate anything in its way, just like how its wielder would crush anything in his way.  
  
Such is the power the King of Heroes holds, which, until just now, had not been matched.  
  
But Gilgamesh has finally witnessed humanity’s answer to the Gods, and he has seen that humanity has finally risen above their lowly status. The King next to him, the one who has reached his threshold of power, is living proof that his defiance against the Gods back in the time of Uruk has not been in vain.  
  
“Now then, show him your true power, Ea!”  
  
  


 

**“Enuma Elish—!”**

  
  
The red torrent is released. It hurtles towards the ancient being, and slams into it mercilessly—  


 

  
  
  
  


  
  
  
—it _screams._  
  
It is the closest description to the noise that the celestial being makes. Perhaps it knows of pain, or perhaps not, but it releases a sound that no one can describe.  
  
That sound brings Lancer back completely. His mind is clear again, and he focuses on his blade once more.  


 

**“Knight Arm: Slash Emperor!”**

  
  
The black blade slices through ORT’s body just as its front portion is being torn apart by the red vortex.  
  
It does not even make a sound when it happens. Perhaps it cannot, or perhaps it chooses not to. It is something no one will ever know. But one thing is for certain—  
  
ORT’s body is sliced cleanly into half, its core completely destroyed, and the vortex of space-time dislocation erases the rest of it from existence with torrent after torrent of power.  
  
—and then, just like that, Type-Mercury, the ultimate one of the Ultimate Ones, a being far superior to any human, dies under the swords of two men who have truly reached the pinnacle of humanity.  
  
Lancer drops down from the sky immediately, his body having been pushed past its limits. But his fall is stopped by a golden arm.  
  
Gilgamesh floats down slowly, touching the ground gracefully and placing Lancer carefully onto the ground, his red eyes showing genuine concern.  
  
“Lancer!” Shirou cries as he runs towards the duo. He pauses in front of Gilgamesh, however, and takes a fighting stance. “You…why did you…?”  
  
“Hmm?” Gilgamesh asks as he dispels his golden armour. “What, a King cannot trim a weed in his garden? It is embarrassing enough to have another King take care of my own mess.”  
  
He dusts his black designer jacket, and walks towards Shirou. “Don’t be so tense, Faker. I am not in the mood to fight rabble today,” he says as he walks past him. “I’ve witnessed something that I never thought I would, and I’m in a very good mood. Do try not to dampen my spirits with your idiocy.”  
  
“Tch,” Shirou says grudgingly, walking away reluctantly, knowing that he would not stand a chance against Gilgamesh by himself. “I suppose I have to thank you for helping today.”  
  
  
  
“I do not need the thanks of a mongrel,” Gilgamesh replies immediately. Then, he turns his head around and glances at the armoured body on the ground. “Tell King Edem to recover quickly. I demand a battle with him.”  
  
As he is about to leave, he notices the fourth figure in the clearing.  
  
“Hoh? Why, aren’t you his…”  
  
Lord El-Melloi II’s eyes widen as he recognises the man from his youth. “You’re…Gilgamesh…!” he says in wonder. “H-How are you still here?”  
  
  
  
Gilgamesh laughs as he hears the question. It is not a sound full of malice or pride that he usually makes. Rather, it is a sound of pure joy, something he has not made ever since the death of his dear friend. Holding his head in his hand, he continues to laugh until his euphoria wears off.  
  
“—ahaha. Today really is a great day! To think I would witness humanity’s greatest achievement, and then meet _that person’s_ follower…!”  
  
He turns to the man once known as Waver Velvet. “I see that you are dressed in his colours. You truly are worthy of my mercy, boy.”  
  
El-Melloi II bows in response. “I am only serving my King in the ways that I can.”  
  
“Good,” Gilgamesh says as he walks away, waving his right hand. “Live well, Waver Velvet. Unlike that Faker, you have meaning in this world.”  
  
As Gilgamesh walks to the edge of the clearing, he leaps into the trees and vanishes from sight, leaving the three men alone in the clearing.  
  
“…Faker…?” El-Melloi II wonders aloud.


	53. Day 10, Bad End 9, Nanaya

  
  
**3\. —to not prepare at all. It’s best not to overthink things, after all.**   
  
  


  
**Day 10  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Nanaya_   
**   


  
  
  
  
You feel useless.   
  
This is not a new feeling. It has been at the edge of your mind ever since the beginning of the war, and has resurfaced multiple times already. But this time, the feeling is not fading away. No matter how you toss and turn on your bed, you simply cannot sleep.   
  
  
  
The black giant.  
  
  
  
The white child.  
  
  
  
The blue hero.  
  
Every single one of them is stronger than you. You know very well that the only reason why you had even managed to survive that night was because the Einzbern Master did not even care to acknowledge you as a threat to her campaign. You sit on your bed, wrapping the blankets around you tightly as you stare into nothingness in the darkness of the room.   
  
  
  
Heroic Spirit MATOU will come for you. That you know for sure. He will cross dimensions and kill the most powerful of monsters to reach you. Berserker is but a small obstacle on his path of redemption.   
  
The main issue on your mind is how you will survive against him. While he is hampered by Kotomine’s Command Seal, he is still a Servant, a deadly engine of destruction.   
  
You decide to not prepare anything at all. Why bother when you will lose anyway?  
  
  
  
“There is no point!” you snarl at nothing in particular, simply frustrated and a little afraid of the situation you are in. “What’s the point of this shitty war anyway? I didn’t sign up for this mess!”  
  
You lie down on your bed, and you close your eyes tiredly. As if you have accepted your fate, you simply lie there for hours and hours, your mind completely empty as your death draws near.   
  
—and then it hits you.  
  
Why stay in the War at all? Why not leave Fuyuki temporarily and then return when the War is over? You would be completely safe, as Masters would probably not pursue you anyway.   
  
“That’s right, I can retreat for now and wait for Gil to find me,” you exclaim. Could this be your salvation…?  
  
There is no time to waste. You hurriedly put on your shoes and dash out of the house, not even bothering to lock the door.  
  
  
  
It is already evening. Two hours until nighttime and your inevitable death by Archer’s hand. But you can change that.   
  
There is smoke wafting from somewhere, possible a sign of conflict or an accident, but even that is ignored as you run for your life.  
  
You run down to the crossroads, across the bridge, and straight towards the train station.   
  
  
  
There is no hesitation in your footsteps. Each step you take is a step towards freedom.  
  
And as you reach the station, you sprint in and buy a ticket to a random town. You do not even look at the name of your destination—   
  
All that matters is that you are out of the deathtrap that is Fuyuki City as soon as possible. As you board the train, you feel a chill down your spine.   
  
“…!”  
  
You find your seat and wrap your arms around your waist. Your instincts tell you Archer has begun his hunt.   
  
“—but you aren’t going to catch me, not this time,” you mutter as you look out of the window. “Let’s see you try to track me down like this, you sick freak of a hero.”  
  
The train doors close, and you sigh in relief. You begin your ride to freedom. Your eyelids feel heavy, and you give in to the sweet embrace of a dreamless sleep—  
  
  
  
—you wake up with a start. The train is nearing a station, but you’re not sure where you are.  
  
“No matter,” you sigh as you prop yourself up and prepare to alight. “So long as it’s away from that place.”  
  
You step out, and exit the station.   
  
  
  
The lights out there are dim, but you can make out the name of the town.  
  
“Mi…sa…ki…?”   
  
You don’t know a place like that. It feels as if you have walked into a separate dimension, a place you shouldn’t be. Nevertheless, you’re safe from Archer now.  
  
“Alright, let’s see what this place is like,” you remark to yourself as you put your hands in your pockets and stroll into town.   
  
  
  
  
  
You pass by some people as you walk around. Just like Fuyuki, it is rather quiet at night in this town, and you like the tranquility. Before long—  
  
  
  
—you find yourself in the middle of the town. Your aimless stroll has lead you to nowhere.   
  
“Tch,” you make an annoyed sound. “I should go find a place to stay in…”  
  
—and then.  
  
That chill. It returns.  
  
You whirl around, but no one is around you. Is it an unfounded fear…?  
  
No matter, you decide to play it safe. You sprint towards a nearby alley, where you can stay out of sight. You deduce that even a Servant would have trouble finding you in such a cramped place.  
  
  
  
Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. Thump.  
  
Your heart beats erratically.   
  
It is only natural— a predator is out for blood, and you have failed to shake off his pursuit.   
  
“I even came to this random town…what the hell is that guy’s problem…!”  
  
You punch the wall in fury as you walk down the alley, but—  
  
  
  
Blood. Blood on the ground, on the walls, all around you. It’s your blood.   
  
“—guh.”  
  
An arrow in your stomach, looking awfully comfortable stuck in you. Your trembling hands grasp it, but you cannot even pull it out.   
  
You spit out a glob of red, and you fall to your knees. You turn around weakly to see a man standing emotionlessly behind you, his blue hair blowing softly in the wind.  
  
  
  
“There is nowhere you can run to, Matou Shinji. My purpose is to kill you, and I will not stop until I do so.”  
  
That’s right. His hatred towards himself is so great that he would track you down at any cost. Following you to a city in the same country is but child’s play to him.  
  
You look up at the sky and see a blue moon looking back at you.   
  
“…ah, blue…blue glass moon…”  
  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	54. Day 10, Kariya's Pit 9 (?!?!)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
: Bonjour! The hint corner for Tsukihime protagonists, who has ended up in this Dead End with no idea of what is happening! It is time for "Teach me, Ciel-sensei!”  
  
: …  
  
: But…you’re not a Tsukihime character. Why are you here…?  
  
: Ah, I see now. You’re rather bold, trying to cross into a different Visual Novel to try and escape your fate. And you even made it to Misaki Town before dying!  
  
: But it doesn’t work that way, Worm-kun! You have to face your enemies head-on, like a true Type-Moon protagonist!  
  
: About helping you…I don’t really want to help a wormy who ran away…but then again, that worthless Kariya Pit did it, so I should set an example as the superior hint corner...  
  
: ...Let’s get this over with. You should try and choose a choice that will give you the best chances of survival. That means staying in Fuyuki, alright? No more running into other Visual Novels. Sometimes, they don’t even help you, you know. I’ve heard that the newest Visual Novel doesn’t have a hint corner, so be careful~  
  
: Alright then, this ends our short lesson! I hope you’ll meet a lot more bad ends later on, Worm-kun~  
  
: As for the rest of you guys, see you soon in the Tsukihime remake! Maybe it’ll even be published before we get our first anime…!


	55. Day 10, Bad End 10, Shinji Liner High

**2\. —to learn how to use the black dagger. It’s your trump card, after all.**   
  
  


  
**Day 10  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Shinji Liner High_   
**   


  
  
  
  
You feel useless.   
  
This is not a new feeling. It has been at the edge of your mind ever since the beginning of the war, and has resurfaced multiple times already. But this time, the feeling is not fading away. No matter how you toss and turn on your bed, you simply cannot sleep.   
  
  
  
The black giant.  
  
  
  
The white child.  
  
  
  
The blue hero.  
  
Every single one of them were stronger than you. You know very well that the only reason why you had even managed to survive that night was because the Einzbern Master did not even care to acknowledge you as a threat to her campaign. You sit on your bed, wrapping the blankets around you tightly as you stare into nothingness in the darkness of the room.   
  
  
  
Heroic Spirit MATOU will come for you. That you know for sure. He will cross dimensions and kill the most powerful of monsters to reach you. Berserker is but a small obstacle on his path of redemption.   
  
The main issue on your mind is how you will survive against him. While he is hampered by Kotomine’s Command Seal, he is still a Servant, a deadly engine of destruction.   
  
—then. There is only one thing you can do. Fight him at your best, with the best weapon you have. You look at the black dagger set on your bedside table.   
  
Of course, there’s nothing to worry about. What Gil has given you is no ordinary dagger. It must have a hidden concept or ability.  
  
“Yes, that’s right,” you say to yourself as you climb out of your bed and walk over to the window in your room. “There’s definitely a secret hidden in that thing. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given it to me.”  
  
You pick up the dagger and turn it around your palm as you examine it. “Maybe…it can extend itself into a sword, or maybe it can kill things instantly…?”  
  
You’ve never actually used the dagger yet, and the only time you’ve seen it was—  
  
  
  
—when Archer had used it to attack you.   
  
They way he had moved, the efficient yet stylish way he moved…it captivated you. You will never admit it to anyone, but you are awed by how he has developed these skills through hard work. Without any magic circuits and without a magic crest to help him, he has somehow attained the status of a Heroic Spirit. He is, in a way, everything you aspire to become.  
  
 _"I am not Matou Shinji, not anymore. I have discarded that name ever since becoming an ally of justice."_  
  
—maybe not. How in the world could he, a person who is destined to achieve great things, live with becoming a lowly ally of justice like Emiya and end up serving the people?  
  
“It should be the people serving their superiors, not the other way around,” you grumble as you thrust the blade forward. You realise that your attacking range is quite small. “So I need to lunge forward while using this move, huh?”  
  
You try again, this time crouching down and then springing up while thrusting the dagger. You find that your movements allow you to reach further than usual.   
  
“Hmm, if I can learn so much in just a few minutes, I can do this…!”  
  
As you lunge forward again, you wonder what it will take for you to unlock the dagger's hidden potential.  
  


~~~

  
  
Hours fly by as you practice various manoeuvres in your room. But somehow, you cannot seem to grasp any special power from the dagger. It simply acts as a normal dagger to you, without any curse or power or boon.   
  
Sweat drips from your face as the exertion of learning so much in such a short time finally catches up with you. You grab a towel from your cupboard and lie down on the bed with it over your face.   
  
“...I think…” you mutter to yourself. “…I think I’m ready.”  
  
You rest for then minutes before washing up and dressing up in new clothes. You touch the fur on the white designer coat lovingly. This is an outfit you love to wear while wooing girls, and you feel invincible in it.   
  
  
  
You walk down the stairs with your dagger grasped firmly in your right hand.   
  
“I’m at my peak strength right now…!"  
  
—and then, as if answering your exclamation, the front door is blasted into small wooden chips as five blue arrows smash through them.   
  
  
  
A man walks in confidently, dressed in blue and purple.   
  
“Good evening, Matou Shinji. You look like you’re ready to die.”  
  
Archer is here, his slim frame illuminated by the glowing moon behind him.   
  
You grit your teeth in disgust as you see the man whom you both respect and hate.  
  
“Ready to die? Hah, I’ve seen through your attacks already. _You_ prepare to die, asshole.”  
  
He smiles in response. “—oh? The worm has grown some teeth? At least you’re better than one of Zouken’s familiars.”  
  
His smile is not a menacing one, but one that simply exudes confidence. You can guess that in his mind, there is no way he can be defeated by a child with a dagger he barely knows how to use.  
  
But you are no longer that child.  
  
  
  
“Hey Archer.”  
  
You bend your knees slightly, staring straight into your opponent’s azure eyes.  
  
“Hmm?” he asks as he removes his bow from his back. “I know what you’re going to say. I have a disadvantage because I’m an archer in a closed—”  
  
“Not that,” you cut in, smirking. “I just want to tell you before you die: you sicken me.”  
  
  
  
With that said, you lunge towards him, your right arm raised with the dagger pointing straight at your foe—  
  
  
  
—an instant reply from Archer. You cannot even see how he has executed his attack with your untrained eyes, but you can sense a single arrow streaking towards you.  
  
You spin to your right, the arrow grazing you slightly. You’ve already predicted he will do this, and he has played straight into your hand.   
  
You are two metres away from your maximum range.  
  
You charge.  
  
  
  
A carpet bombing of sorts await you, but this is also expected. As a Servant, shooting so many arrows at once is only natural. You roll underneath the shots, ignoring the multiple explosions of chipped wood behind you as the blue shots hit the mahogany floor.  
  
1 metre.   
  
You are right next to him, crouching low with your dagger in hand. This is the perfect scenario for you, the only combination you have considered that can grant you a win. You spring upwards.  
  
  
  
“It’s over—!”  
  
  
  
  
“…yes. Yes, it is.”  
  
The calm voice says slowly in front of you. You crumble to your knees, dropping your black dagger and cupping your bloody stomach. You slowly pull out the arrow that has been stabbed into you.  
  
You hear the blue Servant sigh.  
  
“Forgive me, Emiya. I’ll take my leave first.”  
  
You hear something sharp impacting flesh, but by then your mind is already clouded by the the drastic blood loss caused by your injury. You barely hear the final murmurs of a dying man.   
  
“…and…forgive me, my Queen. I have to defy your orders again…let’s meet again on the Throne.”  
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?  
1.Yes  
2.No


	56. Day 10, Kariya's Pit 10

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
  
Kariya: What? I took a vacation. Helping Shinji is a tough business, you know. And it’s not like I can choose who to guide...  
  
Kariya: Come on, let’s hear some fanfare! Surely you guys missed me!  
  
  
  
Kariya: That’s more like it! See? Kariya Pit is up and running again~  
  
???: I see, so this is a hint corner of sorts for the blue-haired child.  
  
Kariya: —eh? Who are you?  
  
???: It surprises me that he is able to grow into the brave warrior that I faced, but life really is full of surprises.  
  
Kariya: …! How did you get in here?  
  
???: That’s a foolish question, former Master of my predecessor. Now that ORT has died, everyone’s trying to find a safe place to hide before it takes over hell. The other hint corners have all set up defences to stop the defeated from entering them. You, however, have not.   
  
Kariya: —Einzbern…! She didn’t tell me about this!  
  
???: I am a honourable man, however, and I will not take from the weak. I will leave soon. I recommend you set up your defences soon.   
  
Kariya: …!  
  
???: In any case, fulfil your duties, caretaker of this pit.   
  
Kariya: Tch, don’t tell me what to. Anyway, what made you think confronting Archer head-on was a good idea, huh? He’s a Servant. Even if you train for fifty years, you can never surpass him. And you’re not Emiya-kun, who can show his future self his determination and change his mind. This Archer dedicated his afterlife to kill you.   
  
Kariya: Alright, you know what to do. I have more important things to address now. Illyasviel von Einzbern…you’ve messed with the wrong Matou. **Prepare to face the wrath of Matou Kariya—!**  
  



	57. Day 10, Ryougi

**1\. to go to the Archery Dojo and train. It’s your best skill, after all.**   
  


  
**Day 10  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Ryougi_   
**   


  
  


  
  
04:10  
  
The neon green numbers on your bedside clock glare at you oppressively.   
  
  
  
You sit on your bed, wrapping the blankets around you tightly as you stare into nothingness in the darkness of the room. You have a feeling that you won’t be able to do anything.  
  
—or more precisely, anything you do will be useless. You confronted Heroic Spirit MATOU in the forest, and he showed you exactly how big the difference in power is. For every move you make, he can make ten. Forget confronting him, you cannot even avoid him now that he’s on the hunt. Only Gil can stop him, but you know that he won’t be here to help you. He has gone somewhere, doing something that is probably more important than the Holy Grail War.   
  
You punch the bed in despair.  
  
  
  
The seconds tick by.  
  
Not even half a minute has gone by. You rub your sore eyes and step out of bed, walking into the bathroom.   
  
Seeing your pathetic figure in the mirror, you punch it with all your might.  
  
  
  
It cracks, just as your fingers crack. Yelping in pain, you quickly massage your abused fingers. You probably can’t use your left hand much for the rest of the day or so, but the pain has woken you up. You stumble back into your room and change out of your dirty clothes.   
  
Out of habit, you slip into your school uniform, but as you zip up your pants, you stop mid-motion and question yourself. Why are you even preparing for school? There’s nothing for you to do there, and the only club you have, the Arc—  
  
“—that’s right…!”  
  
And a moment of inspiration hits you. You hadn’t thought about this before because it seemed so mundane, but...  
  
“The archery range! I’m the best at archery, so I should be practicing my archery skills!”  
  
The next few hours fly by like a breeze as you concentrate on preparing on school for the first time in what seems like ages. You cook a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast, and practice a few moves with your dagger. And soon enough, you are all prepared for school.   
  
You take your bag and walk out of your house.   
  
  
  
The crossroads seem to be rather deserted, you note absentmindedly. You blink and shake your head, deciding that you are probably too early to see the mass of students hurrying towards school. You continue on, mulling over your archery skills silently.  
  
  
  
…  
  
No one is here.   
  
You look around you. The only things you can see are birds perched on trees and the odd mosquito flying around. The school feels abandoned.   
  
  
  
You step in. Still no one.   
  
You’re starting to feel a bit uneasy.   
  
—and then.  
  
  
  
A sudden wave of death crashes into you.   
  
_”He’s here.”_  
  
You run.  
  
  
  
You end up at the archery range, panting as you blast into the area, still feeling the suffocating killing intent.   
  
It is only growing stronger. It tears at you, breaking down your mental defences, making you feel fear you haven’t felt since—  
  
“…Matou Shinji…?”  
  
The killing intent vanishes, as if it were never there in the first place.   
  
And in place of that is—  
  
  
  
The Archery Club’s captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako, who had walked into the range right behind you, looking relieved for some reason.  
  
“…Mitsuzuri…?”  
  
Of all the people you thought you would bump into, you didn’t think it would be her. Archer had made it seem like you raped her, so you had thought that you would be attacked by her when she sees you.  
  
But for some reason, she isn’t angry, instead looking relieved and…curious…?  
  
  
  
“Well, I can finally ask what that was all about,” she says as she walks over to you.   
  
“W-W-what…? I didn’t do anything to you, alright?” you wave your hands as you vehemently try to deny everything.   
  
But she only tilts her head and asks, “Oh, the rape thing? Yeah, I wanted to ask you about it.”  
  
…what.   
  
You have no idea what is going on, so you grind your teeth and say, “That wasn’t me.”  
  
“Of course it wasn’t you.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
…so she knew about Archer…? Your head is spinning. What did she mean by ‘of course it wasn’t you’? Archer had seen to it that the girls thought they were raped by you. How would she—   
  
“And besides, I didn’t get raped, you know,” she continues. “But that weird guy jumped me in an alley and told me ‘Matou Shinji raped you. You will report this to the police’, and then jumped on—”  
  
“—a weird guy…?”  
  
“Yeah, a weird guy. Dressed in a purple hakama and carried some takeaway in his hand. It smelled like mapo tofu, maybe...? I don't remember too much about him, only that he jumped onto a roof and ran away after that.”  
  
“…you remember being hypnotised?”  
  
  
  
“…ah, so that’s what you were trying to do, Matou?” she laughs as she responds. “Nice try, but I didn’t fall for it!”  
  
You are speechless. Normal humans would be easily under Archer’s hypnosis spell, especially if his claim that his Formalcraft was refined over years of training was true. Then how…  
  
  
  
“Anyway, Matou. You haven’t been attending your classes, and you’ve been skipping out on our training sessions. Care to explain why?” Mitsuzuri breaks into your thoughts with a mundane question.  
  
You reply bluntly, “I have better things to do.”  
  
She huffs and turns to walk away. “And I have better things to do than talk to you now that I’ve cleared that up. See you.”  
  
And as she leaves—   
  
  
  
—that feeling of death returns.   
  
“—hey, that’s unfair,” you mutter in anger. “Are you saying you won’t attack me if there’s an innocent person around?”  
  
You run up to Mitsuzuri, and the feeling vanishes again.  
  
“…hey,” you say, trying to think of something to talk about.  
  
She turns around and smirks.  
  
  
  
“Oh, you haven’t left yet, Matou-kun? Alright then, practice archery with me for the rest of the morning. You need to make up for not attending our training sessions,” she says, reaching for a bow and handing it to you.  
  
 _“Why am I stuck with her? Why is my survival hinging on **her**?!”_  
  
“This is one sick joke,” you mutter under your breath as you notch an arrow.   
  
“Huh? Did you say something?” Mitsuzuri asks from behind you. “I think I heard you say ‘Please let me train more, Captain’.”  
  
You release your arrow, and in your anger you forget to control it and it flies far away from the target.   
  
Slow, sarcastic clapping from behind you.   
  
“As expected from the vice-captain~”  
  
You groan. The longest day of your life begins.  
  


* * *

  
  
As noontime approaches, Mitsuzuri starts packing up. As she opens the door to leave, you sigh in relief. At least your survived the day, though—   
  
  
  
And you knew, deep inside you, fate was never this kind.   
  
You run after her at breakneck speed, catching up to her as she reaches the school gates.   
  
  
  
“You know, if you want to accompany me for lunch, you just have to ask,” she folds her arms and says something outrageous.  
  
“W-W-What?! No! I…!”  
  
“I’ve heard rumours that Sakura’s been on leave because of some sickness, so I guess you’re bored right now,” she says.   
  
You know you have to say something that can attract her attention. You take a deep breath and—  
  
“—please go on a date with me, Mitsuzuri!”  
  
  
  
“…”  
  
“…”  
  
“…I’m serious!” you yell while sweat drips from your stylish hair. Your whole life depends on her answer…!  
  
“…wow, you really are something, Matou,” she says and turns around. “Alright then, since I can’t find Emiya, you can accompany me for one day.”  
  
…!  
  
She begins to walk away. “Hurry up, Matou! I’m heading over to shopping district!”  
  
You hesitate.   
  
  
  
“…! Fucking Archer, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”  
  
No reply. You run after someone you hate with a passion, hoping she can keep you alive.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
“Seaweed? Wow, you really are Wakame-kun!”   
  
  
  
“…!”  
  
  
  
“You really are persistent, following me like this. You remind me of a pet dog.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“…”  
  
  
  
  
  
“You want to watch Fate/Zero? I didn’t know you like watching horror movies~”  
  
“…horror…?”  
  
“Yeah, Fate/Zero is a horror movie. What, you still want to follow me?”  
  
  
  
“…yes! I’ll do it…!”  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
—and finally, the day of torture ends.   
  
“Well, I have to go home now, Matou,” Mitsuzuri says, walking away into the crowd of people. “It was fun today!”  
  
…!  
  
If she leaves, and the crowd disperses, you will be a target again for Archer. What can you do?   
  
You decide that it is time for drastic measures. If you injure her, Archer will be forced to materialise and help her as the hero that he thinks he is. But you can’t kill her, or he’ll be even angrier. So...  
  
You run up to her, and brandish your black dagger. You’re unsure where to stab her so that she is injured but not fatally injured, but then again you don’t have time if you don’t want to be seen with a dagger. But you—  
  
  
  
—she turns around, as if she had felt you approach her—  
  
  
  
And your aim is off, the dagger sinking into her stomach.  
  
“…shit.”  
  
Mitsuzuri collapses in a pool of blood. Someone screams.   
  
You run away, still clenching your bloody dagger. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a purple figure approach Mitsuzuri.   
  
  
  
You run and you run, your feet pounding the ground faster and faster as you realise you have truly angered Archer.  
  
 _“…and Emiya. Emiya will be very angry. And this isn’t some helpless Emiya I knew. This Emiya felt dangerous.”_  
  
You have dug yourself a bigger, deeper grave with this act.  
  
But you put that away for the moment and focus on running. There is only one place you can run to.  
  
  
  
The Kotomine Church. It is the last resort for Masters, and it is your only chance for salvation now.  
  
  
  
You push open the doors and rush in, breathing heavily.   
  
“Kotomine!” you scream shrilly. “Kotomine! Help! Kotomine!”  
  
You turn around and close the great oaken doors. As you turn back—  
  
  
  
Kotomine Kirei stands right in front of you.  
  
You leap back, flattening yourself against the doors.  
  
“—y-y-y-you…!”  
  
“Good evening, Matou Shinji. Are you well?”  
  
“…you!”  
  
“I assume you’re not. What is it you need from this humble church?” he asks gravely, though his eyes betray his amusement.  
  
“…I want shelter. Someone’s out to attack me.” And then, for good measure, you add, “Your Servant’s attacking me. You’re such an incompetent Master that you can’t even control him.”  
  
  
  
The is a short silence while the priest stares at your pale face. Then...  
  
  
  
“—I understand, Matou Shinji. I will take responsibility for this. Come, you may sleep safely here for one night.”  
  
He walks down the pews, motioning you to follow him.   
  
“Come, lost lamb. This priest shall guide you to salvation.”  
  
  
  
He guides you to a small room.  
  
“Here, rest for the night,” he says as he closes the door. “Sleep well, Matou Shinji.”  
  
You walk over to the bed and fall onto it. It has been a stressful day for you.   
  
“What did I do to deserve this…” you mutter as you drift off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. “I did nothing wrong…”  
  
  
  
 **Day 11. Kotomine boots you out of the Church, and you estimate you've got ten minutes before Archer comes after you like the rabid dog that he is. You’re Matou Shinji, genius and magus extraordinaire though, and you cannot admit defeat so easily. You decide to—  
  
1\. Fight at the Church. There’s no time to do anything else.  
2\. Run. You don’t know where, but anything will do to buy time—!**


	58. DAY 10 SUMMARY

...  
  
...  
  
...!  
  
 **DAY 10 STATUS - SURVIVED!!!**  
  
Matou “I’m not a worm” Shinji, surviving 10 days of the War? What sorcery is this? With that said, we’re now coming closer and closer to the climax of the Archer Arc. Will one day of survival make a difference? Will this one useless day spent with best waifu spare your wormy life? To put it bluntly, can Gil-chan rush back fast enough to save you?   
  
Daily Achievements:  
  
As Emo As Mato(u) [√]  
Run Little Master Run (Nanaya ver.) [√]  
Goodbye Cruel Fateverse! [√]  
Blue Blue Glass Moon [√]   
Seal-sensei [√]   
Kung-fu Shinji [√]   
Mighty Worm BGM [√]  
Shinji vs Shinji [√]  
Goodbye, My Queen (False ver.) [√]  
I’m An Archer [√]  
Girl Meets Boy [√]  
Best Wingman Archer [√]  
Fate/Zero Worst Horror Movie Ever [√]  
Cutting Your Date Short [√]  
Lost Lamb [√]  
  
  
BONUS ACHIEVEMENTS:   
  
Kotomine's Award To The Mentally Impaired II: [√] (Unlocked by choosing more than one wrong choice for a question. Another one…?!)  
Caren’s Award To The Severely Disadvantaged: [√] (Unlocked by choosing all the wrong choices for the entire day. A rare achievement!)  
Chaste Hero II: [√] (Avoided any 'ziiiip' scenes for a day! Again! Maybe being hunted can help reduce your sexual desires!)  
Matou Kariya Strikes Back!: [√] (Watched Kariya’s Pit 10.)  
Come Here Little Boy I’ve Got A Present For You: [√] (Raising Kotomine affection rating to ≥75)  
  
  
Affection Rating (aka how much they adore Shinji):  
Matou Shinji: 100  
Emiya Shirou: -10  
Tohsaka Rin: -100  
Archer: -100  
Saber: -100  
Lancer: -100  
Gilgamesh: 75  
Kotomine Kirei: 80  
Illyasviel von Einzbern: -10  
  
Mitsuzuri Ayako: -100  
  
Saegusa Yukika: -100  
Makidera Kaede: -100  
Himuro Kane: -100  
Fujimura Taiga: -100  
Ryuudo Issei: -100  
Sella: -50  
Leysritt: -50  
  
  
  
Kuzuki Souichirou: N/A  
Caster: N/A  
Rider: N/A  
Matou Sakura: N/A  
Matou Zouken: N/A  
Assassin: N/A  
Berserker: N/A  
  
Arcueid Brunestud: N/A  
Tohno Shiki: N/A  
Makiri Zolgen: N/A  
  
  
Useful notes: Yet another day, this one shorter than before because there really isn’t much to do but survive without Gil-chan around. Meaning your main goal for the next day is to survive for as long as possible before he comes back and saves your sorry wormy backside. Nothing much to say this time, except that Kirei loves you now, you’re a constant source of entertainment for him, and he’s probably going to love watching you fall into despair if you ever do.   
  
Speaking of despair, Matou Kariya’s up to make some in his search for revenge. Meaning if you get some Kariya’s Pit scenes (aka you die a gruesome death as Shinji), you might see him try to fight the evil that is Illyasviel von Einzbern…! You can do it, Kariya-sempai~  
  
As for the reason why Ayako wasn’t hypnotised? Well, Archer was in a hurry to get back to the Church for one, and Ayako was the last of the girls he had hypnotised, so he probably did a rushed job of it. And they say those with magic circuits are usually harder to mind-wipe than usual…


	59. Day 11, Answer (Part 1)

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Answer (Part 1)_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
You wake up to the peaceful sounds of birds chirping outside your room. It is a melodic sound, lulling you back to sleep as quickly as it wakes you up. As you drift between paradise and reality, you feel there is a figure standing next to you.  
  
“Go away, Sakura,” you mutter irritably, drawing the sheets over your head. “Leave me alone.”  
  
“Hoh? You miss your sister this much, Matou Shinji?”  
  
…  
  
The baritone voice snaps you out of your sleepiness immediately. You scramble out of bed and look up to see—  
  
  
  
—someone who is definitely not Sakura.   
  
“What,” you groan as you put on your shoes. “do you want now?”  
  
Kotomine Kirei smirks and starts pacing about the room calmly. “What do I want? No, what do you want, Matou Shinji?”  
  
“…huh?”  
  
  
  
The priest closes his eyes and sighs condescendingly. It’s so early in the morning, but you already feel this is going to be a horrible day for you.   
  
“What do you want to do after you leave the church?” he clarifies. “I’m afraid I cannot let you stay a moment longer. Archer might actually ignore my commands and kill you, and I don’t want to have to mop the floor again.”  
  
“Hey, the Church is neutral ground,” you retort angrily. “If I stay here, Archer won’t come and kill me!”  
  
  
  
Kotomine pauses for a moment, his pacing halted abruptly.   
  
“Ah, I see now,” he says. “So that’s why you’re so eager to stay. But you see, Matou Shinji, Archer can ignore such a rule, and if he does so, I won’t know until he actually kills you.”  
  
Then just as abruptly, he continues to pace around you.   
  
“Let me tell you something about the Archer class, from one Master of Archer to another,” he says as paces behind you.   
  
You frown. “I didn’t think rival Masters would give out inform—”  
  
“—consider it a blessing of sorts, Matou Shinji. Archers are able to act independently, even without backup from their Masters.”  
  
You nod as he says so, remembering what you have read in some of Zouken’s old tomes. “Yeah, their class ability, Independent Action. That allows them more freedom than normal Servants to carry out actions,” you say. Then, recalling Archer’s stats, you turn around to face the priest. "They can disobey their Masters, but that’s only when the rank is higher than A. Otherwise you should be able to stop him before he betrays you. Archer’s rank is only at—”  
  
“Think about it this way, Matou Shinji,” Kotomine cuts in cooly. “What if Archer has a skill that conceal himself from even his Master? Or at least make it difficult for me to track him down?”  
  
“…a skill?”  
  
  
  
“That’s right,” Kotomine says, his face grave. “Were you able to take a look at Archer’s skills?”  
  
“…ah.” you remark in surprise. You didn’t think about looking at his skills. All you were concerned with was his parameters…  
  
Kotomine shakes his head. “You are truly a lost lamb, Matou Shinji. What would you have done if you hadn’t come to me?”  
  
“H-hey! What’s that supposed t—”  
  
“Disengage.”  
  
“…eh?”  
  
“Disengage, rank B. Protection from Arrows, rank C. Bravery, rank A. Formalcraft, rank A,” Kotomine says slowly. And then he walks over to the sole window in the room, a frown on his face. “Vitrification, rank B+.”  
  
Your eyes widen as you realise what he is talking about.  
  
 _”He’s telling me his Servant’s personal skills…? But why would he do this?”_  
  
“The last skill,” Kotomine continues, paying no attention to your shock. “That is the skill that he is using to block my senses. Normally, I would be able to tap into my Servant’s senses and see what he is doing. But that serene state of mind…  
  
“That state of mind, along with his Bravery skill is proving difficult for me to break into. The only way I can find him is to use a Command Seal, but he would probably revolt and try to kill me. So you see, the Church is hardly a safe place for you right now.”  
  
“…I…so what do I do?” you mutter. You didn’t need to hear that much from him. All you want to know is where you can hide from Archer.  
  
“Leave,” Kotomine says bluntly. “Leave, and find a better place to hide.”  
  
You grab your dagger and stab it into the wall in anger. “There’s nowhere else to hide, Kotomine! There’s nowhere safe for me!”  
  
You slip the dagger back into your pocket, whirl around and stomp out of the room, but as you do so—  
  
  
  
  
“Fight.”  
  
Kotomine puts a hand on your shoulder and says something ridiculous.  
  
“…eh?”  
  
“If you have no other choice, then you have to fight him.”  
  
You don’t even have to turn back to know that there is a grin on the priest’s face.   
  
“You filthy priest,” you snarl as you shake off his hand and storm out of the room. You make your way out of the Church hurriedly.   
  
  
  
Standing at the entrance of the Church, you realise there is indeed no place for you to hide. Then the only option is…  
  
“This ends now,” you growl as you take out your dagger, taking a fighting stance.   
  
As if waiting for you to do so, the Servant materialises twenty metres away from you in a shimmer of blue prana.   
  
  
  
“Took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder if I should burn the church down to smoke you out.”  
  
“Are you kidding me? Your Master’s in there…!” you say, surprised by his ruthlessness.  
  
But judging by his intense expression, you are sure he isn’t kidding.  
  
“What, Kotomine? He needs to die for trying to make me do _that_ to Emiya,” he growls in contempt. “Also, aren’t you going to say anything about yesterday?”  
  
You are puzzled. Yesterday? That’s when you managed to evade him for an entire day thanks to your quick thinking. Why would he bring that up all of a sudden?   
  
“Yeah, I managed to avoid you for an entire day, and all thanks to you and your act of being a hero. See, being a hero really is dumb, right?”   
  
  
  
Archer turns his face away as he grimaces. “You…you really don’t care about her?”  
  
You blink in surprise as you recall the events from last night. “Ah, Mitsuzuri. I cared a lot you know. I know killing her would’ve made you and Emiya angrier. I missed when I stabbed her though, so maybe I did? But anyway, it’s her fault anyway for turning around so suddenly.”  
  
As if a switch was turned on inside him, he becomes calm again, his face becoming expressionless. “I see. Then I truly am justified in killing you right here and right now.”  
  
“I couldn’t save her even with my Formalcraft. She’s in a coma right now. I’m not sure if she’ll ever wake up, but I’ve left something for her…as an apology, I guess,” Archer says, his face serene as the autumn wind. You don’t process what he is saying, as the topic really isn’t important to you. What you are worried about is when he will start attacking.   
  
As if reading your mind, he pauses and takes a step forward. “But that’s not important to you, is it? All you care about is your own survival.”  
  
He draws his bow.   
  
You sink slightly lower, ready to dash away from his attack.  
  
“Well then,” he says. “Shall we begin?”  
  
 _”I am the worm of my pit.”_ you chant in response.  
  
Archer draws out a metallic-looking arrow from his sleeve, and—  
  
“…!”  
  
—you are already dashing away as you see him notching it. From your experience, you have to dodge the arrow before it is even shot, because the opponent you face is simply that fast. You duck to the right, just in time to see a blue bolt crash into the space you were occupying just a second ago.   
  
  
  
The arrow that whistles across you is nothing like you’ve seen before. The prana charged into that one attack is ten times more than the arrows you have faced altogether in the Einzbern Forest.   
  
It rockets past you and strikes the building behind you with a resounding bang.   
  
“Tch, you little worm.”  
  
“I’m not a worm!” you screech back as you run towards him, dagger in your hand.  
  
  
  
This time, the arrow is red. There is no need for you to confirm how dangerous it is, as every arrow he shoots at you is fatal.   
  
You roll underneath the arrow, and continue running towards him. But then, you feel as if something is very wrong. Unlike the previous shot, this shot didn’t feel like it was aimed at you at all.  
  
Your eyes widen and you turn around—   
  
  
  
  
  
—you have just enough time to raise your dagger and deflect the arrow.   
  
“—guh!”  
  
It feels as if your arm has been torn off.   
  
_“That…is the power of a Servant…?”_  
  
You leap away from Archer, turning back to him as you do so. The red arrow has vanished, and he is frowning at you.  
  
“…to think you noticed my attack…that was just an imitation of _his_ move, but…” he mutters just loud enough for you to hear him. “…is it because I am the future counterpart of Matou Shinji? A resonance effect…?”  
  
You do not give him time to think. Crying out wordlessly, you charge at him again.   
  
This time, he raises his bow—  
  
  
  
—and tosses it aside.   
  
_…!_ You don’t understand. _“Did he just throw away his weapon? What is he…?”_  
  
There is no time to think, however. You are but five metres away, and he will be in your range in less than a second.  
  
 **You—  
  
1\. leap back. There is a time and place for your final blow. Now is not the time.  
2\. charge forward. There is an opening, and you can take advantage of his carelessness.   
**


	60. Day 11, Bad End 11, Heading Away From Victory

**2\. charge forward. There is an opening, and you can take advantage of his carelessness.  
**   
  
  
  


  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Heading Away From Victory_   
**   


  
  
  
  
  
  
There is no time to think. Archer has finally let down his guard, having underestimated you. All you need is a second to reach him—!  
  
  
  
You charge bravely towards the man who has forsaken the name ‘Matou Shinji’. He raises his right arm. You instinctively know to slash to his left.  
  
  
  
It is a beautiful slash, a one-in-a-million attack that combines practice with sheer luck. The arc is perfect, one drawn to easily slash across the Servant’s body cleanly, a move that you could not have executed easily.  
  
You smirk as the blade cuts into his left shoulder.   
  
_”Checkmate, Archer…!”_  
  
  
  
“—Artificial Circuit, on.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“—ah.”  
  
You manage to utter a sound as you feel the black dagger sinking into flesh. But at the same time, you feel oddly weightless.  
  
  
  
“…wh...”  
  
  
  
“…what…?”  
  
Something is horribly wrong. You feel your eyelids closing, and your breathing slowing. You can barely think coherently any longer.   
  
As your eyes close for the final time, you strain your eyes to look up. Standing next to Archer is the body of the boy who was once called Matou Shinji. As it crumbles to the ground powerlessly, you scream.   
  
  
  
And with that final scream, Matou Shinji dies.  
  
  
  
  
 ~~Would you like to take advice from Kariya's Pit?~~   
PLEASE DON'T ENTER UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY, CURRENTLY BUSY PREPARING FOR WAR - Matou Kariya  
1.Yes  
2.No


	61. Day 11, Kariya's Pit 11

  
  
Kariya: Hello! Is everyone doing fine? Except Shinji-kun, of course.  
  
Kariya: Welcome back to the paradise for all weak Masters, the Kariya Pit!  
  
  
  
Kariya: …waaaait. Why am I meeting you so soon? The bad ends in these parts should be easy to avoid!  
  
Kariya: …Don’t tell me you deliberately died, just to bug me…!   
  
  
  
Kariya: Look, I’m not impressed. I’m a very busy man nowadays, you know. I have to prepare my secret weapon against that monster.   
  
Kariya: …  
  
…  
  
…  
  
…  
  
Kariya: …you _head_ ing home yet? I’d hate to _cut_ our time short, but I’m up to the _neck_ in work.   
  
…  
  
…  
  
…  
  
Kariya: …  
  
…  
  
  
  
Kariya: **LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY.**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Illya: Final Phase! Go!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
: GAO! WE’RE FINALLY DONE!  
  
: After two long weeks of hard work!  
  
: Osu! However! The real challenge starts here!  
  
: Hai! Worm-kun should be arriving soon! We’ll be able to test out our newest weapon on him!  
  
: I feel a little cruel doing this though. He thinks he can beat us with his worms and bugs, but…  
  
: What are you talking about, Taiga? We didn’t force him into this, and he has no reason to attack us, so he’s dug his own grave~  
  
: Hmm, that’s true. Kariya-kun shouldn’t be attacking others in these turbulent times. It’s unsafe for him too. What if ORT-tan takes over his dojo…?  
: …  
  
: …  
  
: …does it matter?  
  
: Good point, Student No. 1! We should be focusing on more important people, like Shinji-kun over there!  
  
: Hai! Let me help you this time, Shinji-kun! Remember what Kirei said? Archer has a high rank in Bravery! That means his hand-to-hand combat is actually pretty good!   
  
: That’s right. Archer is a weak Servant, but he’s still a Servant. You have to fight defensively if you want to survive.  
  
: Of course, you can always die more so you can annoy Worm-kun more~  
  
: Anyway, we have to get ready for Kariya-kun’s attack now, so we’ll cut this lesson short! Good luck!  
  
: Stay tuned to our dojo for more details~  
  



	62. Day 11, Silver Will

**1\. leap back. There is a time and place for your final blow. Now is not the time.  
**  
  
  


 

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Silver Will_  
**

  
  
  
_…!_  
  
Your instincts scream at you. Something is very, very wrong. Everything is going too well for you. Archer has lowered his guard, dropped his primary weapon, and is within range for your fatal attack.  
  
Something is very, very wrong. And no matter how large your ego is, your inclination to survive at any cost will win over you. You leap backwards just as you are about to slash him.  
  
And as if mocking your efforts to advance, you find yourself standing at exactly where you were when the battle started.  
  
  
  
…with one exception.  
  
  
“…you…” you mutter hesitantly. “What are you planning…?”  
  
You can feel the killing intent emanating from Archer has exponentially increased. The feeling of impending death for you is gnawing at your sides, chipping away your determination to fight.  
  
_“…why? He threw away his Noble Phantasm. He grows more powerful as he loses his weapons..?!”_ you hypothesise as you seethe in anger. _“What kind of trump card is that?”_  
  
As if reading your mind perfectly, Archer nods. “Yes, Matou Shinji. The skill to fight without weapons. That is the final gift my Queen left me.”  
  
…Queen? You don’t understand what he is referring to, but before you can ask, a sudden chill blows over you.  
  
  
  
“But to think you were perceptive enough to realise the danger of getting up close to me…”  
  
You can feel your knees knocking together as you tremble under the powerful pressure from Archer. Every breath feels like you are swallowing a frozen dagger.  
  
You know from your studies that this so-called “killing intent” is but a way to intimidate you. It is not lethal or harmful so long as your mind is clear. But it is a good measure for how much the person wants to murder you.  
  
Right now, you can feel that your opponent has marked you for death, and he will not back down until he has your lifeless body in his grasp.  
  
You swallow the saliva built up in your mouth, and take a cautious step backwards. And then—  
  
  
  
  
“It seems like I’ll have to chase you down, little worm.”  
  
In the end, it is not the Servant who defeats you. It is not his skill or his bravery. Rather, it is your own body that betrays you, its muscles locking you in place as you look on to a messenger of death. Your grip on the dagger slackens.  
  
  
  
You see a fist in front of your eyes. There is no question as to who it belongs even if your eyes are not able to follow his actions. For you, it is as if he has teleported straight in front of you. You can raise your left arm to block, but is there any point?  
  
_“That’s right,”_ you conclude in your mind as the instrument of death approaches you at inhuman speeds. _”I never stood a chance against him.”_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Of course you never stood a chance against him. Move to your right, Shinji.”  
  
**You—  
  
1\. Move.  
2\. Move.  
3\. Move.**


	63. Day 11, Return of the King

 

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Return of the King_  
**

  
  
  
  
  
“Of course you never stood a chance against him. Move to your right, Shinji.”  
  
Do you even need to consider a request from _him_? Your best friend, your only ally in this war. Hearing his voice gives you more pleasure than you have ever felt. You let Archer’s blow hit your arm, propelling your away, just as a rain of swords crash noisily into where you were standing.  
  
“—aak!”  
  
Your left arm breaks. A white piece of jagged bone protrudes from your skin. But this pain is nothing to you. You look up, to the man standing at the top of the Church. You have won this battle.  
  
  
  
Gilgamesh is back.  
  
  
  
“Well done, Shinji. You’re still as entertaining as before,” he says as he lowers his arm. The golden portals behind him vanish. “I suppose I will follow this play of yours to the very end.”  
  
  
  
“And to think you managed to survive even with a Servant specifically targeting you. While I would normally lean towards giving credit to the Servant’s incompetence, I do think your actions are worthy of praise this time,” Gilgamesh says. “And to think that you would do something that cruel to the girl without a second thought! You truly are a fascinating person, Shinji.”  
  
He leaps off the building and lands next to you gracefully with nary a sound. He looks over at you and smirks, giving you a slight nod.  
  
“Well done.”  
  
You could almost cry in relief. “Gil! You’re back!” you exclaim happily. “What took you so long?”  
  
He shrugs and dusts his jacket. “Nothing too important, but it was more fun than killing mongrels in this farce of a war."  
  
“Eh?” you wonder aloud. As usual, you don’t really understand what he is talking about. “Oh well, let’s finish this piece o—eh…?”  
  
  
  
“…ah,” you mutter as you realised that your opponent has vanished, as if he was never there. There is no remnant of Archer left, as even his discarded bow has disappeared into nothingness.  
  
“What…?”  
  
“Tch,” Gilgamesh tuts as he narrows his crimson eyes. “The maggot has a cowardly ability.”  
  
You ponder for a moment before recalling Kotomine’s words. “Ah, you mean his Disengage ability. Does that mean he’s…”  
  
“Yes, he’s escaped,” your best friend replies without hesitation. “To think he would insult me by dodging my treasures and running away…he must really want to die.”  
  
  
  
  
You grin maniacally. You’ve missed Gilgamesh’s wonderful thought process. If there’s anyone in the world who understands you the most, it must be him. “Yes, I agree completely! I really want to kill him too.”  
  
You raise your arms to emphasise your eagerness, and—  
  
  
  
“—guh…! Aaaaggh!”  
  
You’ve completely forgotten about the wound in your left arm. You drop to the ground, cradling your broken arm as you try your hardest to suppress the pain.  
  
“…well, I was wondering when you’d notice,” says a voice casually from next to you. “As I said, you don’t stand a chance against him, even if he is a lowly mongrel.”  
  
You hear Gilgamesh rummaging through something, before making what sounds like a small pop.  
  
…?  
  
You feel as if there is water dropping onto your arm. And as soon as you feel it, the pain subsides completely.  
  
“…ah.”  
  
You blink away the tears in your eyes, and slowly stand up to see Gilgamesh putting a small bottle back into a golden portal. “T-thanks Gil, but what was that?”  
  
  
  
He shrugs again. “Just an elixir I have. It’s useless to me anyway, so it would be a waste not to use it.”  
  
You cautiously move your arm. There is no pain, and the only feeling you feel from your limb is fatigue from your short encounter with Archer. You can barely believe what you are seeing. It is almost as if you had never sustained that wound.  
  
You walk over to Gilgamesh, and the two of you start walking away from the Church.  
  
“But I don’t get it,” you say. “How can this healing potion be useless?”  
  
Gilgamesh barks with laughter. “Hah! You have much to learn Shinji. Tell me, does a King allow himself to be wounded?”  
  
You remember he had recently lost an arm, but you decide not to bring that up.  
  
“…no…?”  
  
“Then it is obvious, is it not? If I am not wounded, then I have no need for a wound-healing elixir.”  
  
“I…see,” you reply slowly. Your best friend once says something profound, but it seems his ideology is too complicated for you to understand.  
  
Gilgamesh looks over at you with an amused look on his face. “No, you don’t. But it doesn’t matter, Shinji. I do not require my subjects to understand the King completely, after all.”  
  
He stops and looks back at the Church, hands behind his head.  
  
“Hmm, I would’ve expected him to at least come and greet me…” he mutters in a voice you can barely hear. He turns back to you. “So, what do you have planned for today, Shinji?”  
  
Plans? You draw a blank. The only thing you planned before this was fighting Archer. There wasn’t really much that you wanted to do besides socking your future self in the face. But as you notice Gilgamesh’s eager look, you feel bad for not being able to entertain him.  
  
_”Oh well, I’ll just make something up right now and run with it.”_  
  
“Alright,” you reply enthusiastically. “We’ll—“  
  
**  
1\. Go back to the Church. It’s about time you wiped that smug grin off that freak’s face.  
2\. Go to the Einzbern Forest. Time to have a bit of “fun” with the loli~  
3\. Go home. You’re tired and Gilgamesh is probably tired from travelling too.  
**


	64. Day 11, Edelstein

**2\. Go to the Einzbern Forest. Time to have a bit of “fun” with the loli~**  
  
  


 

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_Edelstein_**

  
Of course, there is only one place you should go to, especially after what happened the last time you were there.  
  
“Alright,” you reply enthusiastically. “We’ll visit Einzbern’s. I think it’s time I paid them back for their hospitality.”  
  
“Hoh? Hospitality, you say?” Gilgamesh asks, looking mildly interested. “Did they offer a ceasefire?”  
  
The two of you walk down the road, heading over to Shinto. You plan to hail a taxi, as there is no way you can walk all the way to the Einzbern Forest in your state of fatigue.  
  
“Eh? Not really. That girl tried to kill me with her Servant, so I’m just paying her back.”  
  
“‘That girl’, hmm? So you’ve met the Grail for this War already, Shinji?”  
  
You scratch your head. “Grail? What’re you talking about, Gil? I met the Einzbern representative, but she wasn’t holding the Grail or anything…”  
  
Gilgamesh falters in his strides for a moment. You glance back at him, but he has already recovered his calm demeanour.  
  
  
  
“…I see. So you didn’t know.”  
  
He opens a golden portal on his right, letting a golden figurine fall into his hand.  
  
  
  
“Imagine this is the meat doll, Shinji,” he says as he tosses the priceless object up and down casually. Your eyes follow its ascent and descent, drawn by its golden glow and its meticulous craftsmanship. “This is before the start of the War, when it is still empty.”  
  
He continues to toss it up and down.  
  
“During the War, seven Servants fight one another and are slowly killed. Their souls are sent to the Grail.”  
  
You nod in sync with its movement.  
  
“I still don’t see—”  
  
“Now then,” Gilgamesh cuts in, tossing the figurine into the air one final time and sending it flying into a golden portal. “When all seven Servants are sent to the Grail…”  
  
Another golden portal opens up, this time just above the previous one.  
  
  
  
A golden goblet drops into Gilgamesh’s outstretched hand. He tosses it to you, and you fumble for a bit before grasping onto it.  
  
“That meat doll sheds its human form and becomes the Grail as you know it.”  
  
“…”  
  
You aren’t sure what to say to this, as it seems impossible for that girl to suddenly become a golden goblet capable of granting wishes.  
  
“Of course, there’s a lot more to this than just that, but none of that is relevant right now,” Gilgamesh states with a tone of finality. He gestures to you for the goblet and you hand it over to him. He tosses it over his shoulder and it vanishes into a golden portal soundlessly.  
  
“For now, just know that we need the Einzbern doll.”  
  
You scratch your head again. “Ah, I think I get it now. But I have one question, Gil.”  
  
“Hoh? What is it? Was my explanation inadequate?”  
  
“Oh no, I kind of get it now,” you explain with a sheepish smile. “But…since we only need her body, can I…do things to her?”  
  
Your left hand fiddles with your pants zipper unconsciously.  
  
Gilgamesh breaks into a feral grin as he replies, “Why, all I ask is that you keep her heart intact. As for anything else…it’s up to your judgment, Shinji.”  
  
  
  
You return that grin with added interest.  
  
~~~  
  
  
  
You reach the Einzbern Forest just before noon. Though there is ample sunlight outside, the moment you step into the woods, you feel as if it is almost evening. It hardly dampens your mood, however. You know that this time, things will be different.  
  
_”That’s right. This time, I have Gil. I won’t be pushed around by you assholes anymore!”_  
  
Gilgamesh walks ahead of you, his posture relaxed. You note that his hands are no longer in his pockets though.  
  
“Why…?” you hear him mutter to himself. “Then it knows?”  
  
You stay quiet, knowing that the King of Heroes is deep in thought. You strain your ears to hear more, but he has stopped muttering and the only sounds you can hear are the crunching noises the two of you make as you walk deeper and deeper into the forest.  
  
  
  
Five minutes pass.  
  
The first one to break the unnatural silence is Gilgamesh.  
  
“…Shinji. Was there a defensive barrier when you came here the last time?”  
  
_“…ah. So that’s why he’s on edge.”_  
  
“No, I don’t think so. Maybe Einzbern doesn’t know how to make one. She’s just a little girl, after all. ”  
  
Gilgamesh shakes his head and turns back to glance at you sharply. “That can’t be. I think it knows we’re here.”  
  
“Then…”  
  
“That’s right, Shinji. It knows that the barrier won’t stop me,” Gilgamesh drawls.  
  
The two of you walk into a clearing. Suddenly, Gilgamesh stops walking and raises his voice. “So hurry up and greet me, meat doll! My patience is starting to wear thin.”  
  
His voice echoes slightly, but there is no reply. You shift awkwardly, not knowing how to react to your friend’s declaration.  
  
A few seconds pass agonisingly before a gust of wind blows across your face. With it carries a soft giggle.  
  
“Hehe, you really are as arrogant as onii-chan says you are~”  
  
A small figure garbed in purple appears in front of you, stepping out of the murky gloom that is the forest.  
  
“I thought you wanted to meet me in my castle, Gilgamesh,” she says teasingly.  
  
  
  
Gilgamesh’s expression does not change. “I take it you are the meat doll the Einzberns supplied for this War.”  
  
  
  
“That’s right,” she replies, curtseying. “I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, the Grail vessel of this War. You are Gilgamesh, the Archer from the Fourth, I suppose?”  
  
Gilgamesh does not reply, and Illyasviel stands up straight, her red eyes glaring straight at his even as she puts on a friendly smile.  
  
“I didn’t expect you to come here so soon though. I thought my brother had… _disarmed_ you recently.”  
  
You flinch. Not even you would dare to talk about that particular instant, let alone tease him about it. You walk over to him, hoping that he isn’t too angry.  
  
  
  
“Hoh? The meat-sack has an opinion?” Gilgamesh asks softly as he rakes his hand through his blonde hair. On his face is a murderous grin that roots you to the ground. “Maybe the Einzbern should have trained you better than to insult a King.”  
  
“Oh right, you’re the King of Heroes,” Illyasviel quips before breaking into her own grin. “You seemed rather h _armless_ back then though.”  
  
An instant reaction from Gilgamesh. Six portals spring up from behind him, ready to fire at the diminutive figure in front of him.  
  
“…I did not ask for a mongrel’s opinion. I suggest you silence yourself before I make _you_ armless, doll.”  
  
Her reply is just as quick.  
  
  
  
Silver threads burst out of her sleeves and transform into four silver birds.  
  
“Oh, you’re willing to use your treasures on me? You don’t need to go out on a _limb_ just for me~”  
  
  
  
There is no hesitation. Gilgamesh does not even acknowledge that statement, shooting a golden spear at her instead.  
  
“Wait, Gil! We need her ali—”  
  
"Acht, Sieben, Sechs—!”  
  
And at the same time, a cry from behind Illyasviel reaches your ears.  
  
  
  
“Stil, schießt Beschießen, Erschie Ssung—!”  
  
Three spires of ice and a compressed air tunnel crashes into the spear, deflecting it just enough to miss the young girl.  
  
A fourth figure steps into view.  
  
“Rin?! I told you to run…!”  
  
“Tch, you’re King Edem’s…?”  
  
“Tohsaka…!”  
  
  
  
“Sorry I’m late, Illya.”  
  
  
  
Illyasviel dismisses her silver birds and turns to face her ally.  
  
“I told you to run! What are you doing here? We can’t defeat them without a Serva—”  
  
  
  
“—and leave you here to die?” Rin retorts snappily. “I don’t care what happens to you, but Emiya-kun will be very sad if he finds out about this.”  
  
  
  
  
  
“…you really are a dumb bumpkin, Rin,” Illyasviel sighs as she turns back to face the two of you. “We have no chance of winning this anyway, so ju—“  
  
“When you’re done barking amongst yourselves, mongrels, kindly bleed for me. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”  
  
  
  
Eight weapons emerge this time as you feel the anger rolling off your best friend. You can sense he is quickly reaching his limit, and might not be able to hold back enough to keep the Grail intact.  
  
“Err, Gil? Maybe w—“  
  
  
  
It’s too late, as he’s already sent the blades whistling towards them.  
  
But as you watch on helplessly...  
  
“I agree completely, King of Heroes. We don’t have time for this.”  
  
  
  
A single blue shot buries itself next to Tohsaka and Illyasviel, sending them flying to the left just as the blades skewer the ground they were standing on.  
  
Tohsaka is the first to react, leaping up with three jewels in her left hand and four more in her right.  
  
A blue figure lands beside her, a bow in his hand.  
  
  
  
Servant Archer does not spare you even a single glance. His posture is rigid, and his attention is completely on Gilgamesh.  
  
“Sorry to interrupt this fight, but I can’t let you kill her,” he says. “While I would normally prioritise my mission above everything else, this is something I cannot overlook.”  
  
  
  
Gilgamesh slowly turns to face him. Twelve golden portals hang in the air.  
  
“Move, Archer. I may consider sparing your life if you do so.”  
  
Archer shakes his head, a smile still on his face.  
  
“Sorry, but I’m not as depraved as that boy over there as to harm my best friend’s sister,” he says quietly. He pulls Illyasviel to her feet and places his hands on her shoulders. “When I said I was your brother’s ally, I wasn’t joking. He was — and still is — my best friend. Run away and find somewhere to hide until he returns, I’ll take care of this.”  
  
  
  
“You mean ‘we’ll take care of this’,” Tohsaka adds, stepping forward and turning her back to Illyasviel. “I don’t need your protection, Archer. Just help me hold out until Lancer returns.”  
  
  
  
“Rin…Archer…” Illyasviel says in wonder, her small white hands gripping themselves tightly.  
  
“Remember to tell him about that, Illya.” Archer says as he pats her on the head. “I know it isn’t much, but that is all I can do to help you guys from now on.”  
  
She nods and runs out of the clearing.  
  
“…are you insane, you mongrel?”  
  
That voice asks. But it is not a question. It is more of a statement, as if the owner of that voice has already passed judgment on them and is merely following through the motions.  
  
  
  
“Do you think that you can actually buy time against me, you curs?”  
  
Twelve portals become twenty-four.  
  
“Do you think I’ll let that pathetic excuse for a meat-sack get away after she insulted me?”  
  
Swords, lances, hammers, spears. All sorts of weapons protrude out of the golden portals.  
  
As if it were as normal as taking a morning stroll, Archer takes an arrow out from his sleeve and shoots it straight at Gilgamesh.  
  
A red sword intercepts it immediately, and continues forward to Archer—  
  
  
  
—who proceeds to silkily leap to the side and snatch it out of mid-air.  
  
“Hmm, not a bad sword at all,” he says, taking a few practice swings, seemingly oblivious to the growing murderous intent directed at him. “Too bad I detonated Gilgamesh already though, or I would be able to compare how much more powerful this is.”  
  
He tosses it to the side and it promptly dissolves into gold particles. The owner of the sword flings out his arm and tears his other hand through his hair.  
  
“…when I’m done with you, Archer, you’ll regret every word and decision you have made this day. When I’m done with you, _not even a single scrap of your worm-infested skull will remain in this world._ ”  
  
Tens of portals appear behind Gilgamesh, covering the clearing in a ghastly golden glow.  
  
You gulp and instinctively take a step back, but then you realise something. While it would be great to let Gilgamesh take care of both foes, you wonder if he will leave at least one of them intact enough for you to take your frustrations out on. With that thought, you—  
  
**  
1\. interrupt Gil’s fight with Archer. He’s your future self, not his! And you're sick of being interrupted by everyone!  
2\. pick a fight with Tohsaka. She’s due a good zipping, and you should be able to defeat her if you surprise her and copy MATOU’s martial arts.  
3\. go home. Let Gil take care of everything, you’ll find someone else to torture along the way. **


	65. Day 11, Der Köder

_Their first meeting is a chance one._  
  
_They were never meant to meet in the first place. In many other continuities, many other possibilities, they would have passed by each other without batting a brow. After all, the stage had not been set, and the cast had not been gathered. In a few days, that will change with the introduction of the sixth and seventh. But for now, nothing holds them together._  
  
_Yet the red string of fate unravels at that particular moment and entangles them in ways neither could possibly have imagined._  
  
_He is supposed to be engrossed in his magazine, but something sharp catches his eye and he turns around immediately._  
  
_“…oh.”_  
  
_That person stops too._  
  
_“…what…?”_  
  
_Red meets blue._  
  
_“Beautiful…”_  
  
_His life is changed forever._  
  
  


 

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**  
Der Köder**

 

  
  
Amongst the chaos that is the battle, there is only one thing clear to you right now: you still owe Tohsaka some sweet revenge for what she did to you the day before.  
  
_”That’s right, it’s all because of her geas scroll proposal that made Gil leave. She’s the reason why Archer almost killed me!”_  
  
And it has been a few days since your…teenage desires were sated. Is the chance of taking Tohsaka worth drawing Gil’s ire?  
  
Yes, you decide. Yes, it most certainly is. All those years of staring at her from afar can finally be put to an end here and now.  
  
With that in mind, you tap Gilgamesh’s shoulder.  
  
  
  
“Hey Gil, I’ll take care of the girl for you,” you state in a confident tone that betrays none of your fear. “It’d be annoying for you to crush two bugs at once, right?”  
  
Gilgamesh turns back to stare long and hard at you, his icy red eyes boring into your azure ones. For a moment, you are paralysed by an irrational fear, but you quickly recover by digging your nails into your palm.  
  
“I know it’s nothing much for you to kill them off, but it would still be a pain to pin down two cowards at once. As your Master, I should be helping you on the field!” you attempt to reason.  
  
“…you would risk offending me for a taste of that Tohsaka girl?” he asks quietly.  
  
You blink at the absurd question, before realising that you have in fact offended Gilgamesh’s pride by offering to help him.  
  
“—ah,” you conclude simply. “I just want to help y—”  
  
The words spill out of you before you can stop them, but your best friend interrupts you.  
  
“Don’t bother, Shinji. You are a person who only looks out for his own desires,” he says while sighing. He turns away from you. “Which is why I find you so interesting in the first place. Come, let me give you a wea—“  
  
  
  
  
Three blue arrows rush towards you, but they are met by three Noble Phantasms shooting out of the golden portals.  
  
“—pon Shinji,” he turns back to face Archer with a frown. “Or at least I would, but this cur needs to learn his place first.”  


 

  
  
Assassin returns Gilgamesh’s hostility with a cold smile. “Learn my place? Hah, you really do speak like her.  
  
“But you see, I only serve one Queen, and last I checked, you lacked something she had,” he throws his bow behind him as he says so, lowering himself into what appears to be a martial arts stance.  
  
“It’s a pity then,” your Servant says. “Because your fake of a Gilgamesh doesn’t exist in this world, Servant Archer. Now, die.”  
  
  
  
The blades rain on the Servant, but he has already leapt away, landing on a nearby tree branch.  
  
“Keep running, little worm,” Gilgamesh snarls as he stalks towards his opponent.  
  
Archer doesn’t reply, instead beckoning to Tohsaka, who stares bewildered at him.  
  
“Run, Tohsaka-san. He can’t beat me this easily.”  
  
With that said, he leaps into the forest as a barrage of spears and swords crash into the tree he was on. Gilgamesh promptly walks after him briskly, his Gate of Babylon shooting weapon after weapon into the gloomy forest.  
  
  
  
…which leaves just two people.  
  
No, one person and his prey would be more accurate, in your opinion.  
  
  
  
“…Archer…”  
  
  
  
Your prey, however, doesn’t seem to be interested in you. She looks towards the direction the Servants had gone, looking almost mesmerised by the distant sounds of crashing steel.  
  
Time to address her directly, then.  
  
  
  
“Well, well, well…” you drift off as you take a step closer to your goal. “That went all according to plan.”  
  
  
  
“So even that kind of guy can become a nice person in some parallel world…?”  
  
She pays no attention to you, gripping what appears to be a large red jewel tightly in her hand.  
  
  
  
“Hey Tohsaka,” you say. “Let’s have a bit of fun together~”  
  
  
  
“…”  
  
  
  
You lose it completely. You step forward and bark loudly, “Listen to me when I’m talking, bitch.”  
  
  
  
This catches her attention, and she looks at you bewildered.  
  
“…ah, I forgot about you for a moment there, Matou-kun.”  
  
  
  
You see red. Your breathing quickens and your heartbeat skyrockets.  
  
“You—!”  
  
“I really don’t have time for this, alright?” she says calmly, lifting her left arm and pointing directly at you. “I’ll finish this quickly.”  
  
“No! I’ll finish this!”  
  
Any plan has gone out of the window. Everything you do from now on will be by instinct. And the first thing that comes to mind is—  
  
  
**1\. Charge forward with your dagger. It’s now or never.  
2\. Throw your dagger at her. Surprise move!  
3\. Second time’s the charm. Ziiiiiiip—**


	66. Day 11, Reißverschluss und Helden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3\. Second time’s the charm. Ziiiiiiip—

_Their second meeting is a mistake.  
  
He does not know why she is speaking to his sister. He does not want to know why. His sister had once again surpassed him, leaving him with what can at the very best be called a charity case. As if hearing his dark thoughts, the woman shifts her gaze to him ever so slightly before smiling briefly. The conversation ends as soon as it starts. The blonde woman leaves. He follows her.  
  
Why he does so is something none can ever explain. Is it out of curiosity, or is it out of lust? He remembers her well, but why he walks after a stranger in the dead of night is beyond him.  
  
The night grows darker. She continues to walk. He continues to follow.  
  
They reach a park. There is a slight breeze. He notices her long blonde hair is blowing messily yet proudly in the wind.  
  
She stops walking. He pauses behind her.  
  
She turns around as if she had known about him all this time, and asks a single question.  
  
“What is your purpose in life, Matou Shinji?”  
  
“…my purpose?”  
  
He doesn’t notice how suspicious it is. That he hasn’t introduced himself and yet she knows his name. With consummate ease, he lies easily, looking for an easy way out of the question that has trapped him since he discovered magecraft.  
  
“Hah, I want to become successful,” he says while twirling a strand of hair. “Just like everyone else.”  
  
“A bold lie.”  
  
The response is immediate. The wind picks up, and her hair blows across her face in a hypnotic dance. His hand drops down like a rock, his eyes widening in surprise.  
  
“Tell me the truth, mongrel.”  
  
Solemn, crimson eyes with a power unrivalled behind them. Compared to his, they are beyond his very comprehension. Yet…  
  
“I…”  
  
He does not understand why he is taking this so seriously. If it is anyone else, he would have ended the conversation there and then. However, her crimson eyes, tinted with curiosity and finality, stays his feet. He searches his mind for an answer, past the barriers he has put up for himself.  
  
“I want to show Grandpa that I’m not useless,” he grinds out as he clenches his fists. “I know I…I know I’m useless, I know I can’t use magecraft, but—”  
  
The harsh truth faced by a magus with no magecraft. It is true. He is an existence that can only be pitied. He is a bird without wings, a creature that can only feel jealously as the rest of his flock soar in the sky.  
  
He does not understand why he has just admitted his deepest fear, and why he isn’t angry at being forced to reveal such a weakness. All he feels is a strange calmness, a calm acceptance of his miserable fate.  
  
“Yes, you are useless, more useless than a worm crawling under my feet. Just like most of humanity right now. Perhaps even more so.”  
  
“…why?” he manages to whisper. There is an underlying weight behind his simple question. He needs not clarify. The woman knows he is asking why did she even bother asking him when she knew the answer.  
  
She turns away, looking into the distance.  
  
“You don’t fit in this world. You’re an anomaly who doesn’t know what to do with the world.”  
  
He does not respond. How would he, to a statement that is an absolute truth?  
  
She steps forward. He follows suit automatically. In a few seconds, they are but three paces apart.  
  
The wind blows harder, as if on cue.  
  
He clenches his fists even tighter, feeling his nails dig into his skin painfully, just as she brings a slender unblemished hand across her face.  
  
He knows not why he says what he does, but the words tumble out as she brushes her hair back. And perhaps this is truly why he is not angry.  
  
“Just like you, then.”  
  
The hand freezes, and her lips crack open in surprise. Just as quickly, her red eyes narrow in anger and indignation. As if a switch has been turned on, he suddenly feels an inhuman killing intent directed at him.  
  
But Matou Shinji has nothing to lose. He is a child who has seen the wonders of magecraft, but can never attain the miracles they offer. He is a child who has been shunned by his father, ignored by his grandpa. He is a child who is pitied by a step-sister who will one day take his position as the Matou heir.  
  
He continues, driven by the turmoil within his heart. Frozen under her murderous gaze, only a whisper escapes.  
  
“You don’t fit in this world.”  
  
A pause. The wind continues to howl. His words barely carry themselves to her, but it is enough.  
  
Her pink lips curve upwards, but it is not an action born of malice or pride.  
  
“That’s right. I don't.”  
  
Rather, it is one of curiosity.  
  
“What of it?”  
  
Her question is genuine. Ten years she has travelled, and ten years she has wasted. Her only joy is in the suffering of others.  
  
He shrugs. He is not a philosopher, nor is he a deep thinker. He just recognises an existence as meaningless as his.  
  
“Nothing. We’re similar, that’s all.”  
  
His answer is genuine. This is why he is able to speak freely. They are worlds apart, and yet they are uncannily similar in predicament.  
  
A melodic laugh. Why is she not offended? Why is she not angry? She knows not. Just like the boy, her ego has been shelved by this peculiar meeting, this absurd conversation.  
  
She is aware all too well of the irony of that statement. The boy in front of her, faced with a suddenly inquiry of his greatest fault, will never be half the person she is. But still—  
  
“You are not the first to offend me, Matou,” she says calmly. “But you shall be the first I spare in this age.”  
  
She stops suffocating him with her intent to kill and is rewarded with an amusing sight of the boy releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding.  
  
“And you are right. I hate this world—no, more precisely, this era. Perhaps we are slightly similar in that aspect.”  
  
It is the first time she has been compared to such a hopeless person, and truthfully so without a trace of jealousy or hate. It is only natural to be curious.  
  
She turns to leave.  
  
“…I won’t change this world.”  
  
A weak voice calls from behind her.  
  
“I’ll destroy it and then create a new one.”  
  
She can’t help but chuckle as she hears this. Perhaps her curse of influence is finally of use. In such a short period of time, with such a short conversation, she has changed his life forever.  
  
And he has changed hers with that one promise.  
  
She does not reply, as there is no need to. There is no need to acknowledge something already set in stone.  
  
_  
  


  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_  
Reißverschluss und Helden  
_  
**  


  
  
There is no time to think. You do what is natural to you, and what is most natural is obviously—  
  
_”I am the worm of my pit.”_  
  
You bring your hand down like a judge would bring down a gavel, and with an almighty pull, you reveal your trump card.  
  
**Ziiiiiiiip—**  
  


  
  
  
  
  
Time slows down to a crawl. You dash forward, your weapon swinging freely as you close in on your opponent.  
  
  
  
“W-w-wait…!” Tohsaka screams as she involuntarily lowers her arm to cover her eyes. “What th—”  
  
  
  
  
“It’s over!”  
  
Indeed, it is over. You have taken advantage of her surprise and that was all that was needed to let you gain the upper hand in this fight. You reach forward to grab her and shove her onto the ground using the momentum from your run. Crawling on all fours, you advance on the hapless prey in front of you—  
  
  
  
—but of course she has other ideas. As if doing it out of spite more than practicality, she prepares to activate her final command seal.  
  
“Lancer!” she cries out.  
  
“Don’t you fucking dare—”  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

 

  
Lancer leaps out of his seat in a mixture of horror and surprise.  
  
“Please stay in your seat, sir,” a voice rings from behind him. But to him, that voice is absolutely inconsequential to what he just felt. “Shirou-san, my Master…!”  
  
Shirou looks up at him, putting his newspaper aside and standing up hurriedly.  
  
“What happened? Did you lose your connection with Tohsaka?”  
  
“No,” Lancer shakes his head grimly. “The contract is still in place, but her hand and her seals...”  
  
“—what…? That’s...” he groans. Despite his emotional attachment to Tohsaka, he is too used to this feeling of despair to scream in surprise or react as a normal human would. Instead, he steps out of his seat and into the aisle, grabbing his bag from under Lancer’s seat as he does so.  
  
“Sirs, the seatbelt light is still o—”  
  
“Who was she fighting?”  
  
“It was the Matou boy, the one without any magecraft. I think we’ve underestimated how low he would go just to win,” Lancer replies as he presses a pale palm to his temple. “Or maybe he wasn’t looking to win at all. He just wanted to—”  
  
“I get it. I’ll call Saber with a Seal immediately,” Shirou cuts in. “There’s no time to lose if she’s being—”  
  
And as soon as he raises his hand, he feels a sting from the back of his left hand.  
  
“…what…!?”  
  
Before his very eyes, his Command Seals turn pitch-black before suddenly vanishing.  
  
“…what…?” he repeats rhetorically. Beside him, Lancer stiffens in horror.  
  
“Shirou-san, what in the name of…?” he trails off. He receives no reply from his companion. “By the Six Sisters, what _is_ going on in Fuyuki?”  
  
“Please take your seats! Do you understand? _Voce entende?_ Sirs?”  
  
“Lancer,” Shirou says quietly, ignoring the stewardess. “How fast can you fly?”  
  
“My armour, you mean. Its top speed is respectable enough. Can you survive the air pressure though?” Lancer asks in return without missing a beat. “You can’t hold onto me if I’m too fast either.”  
  
“I’ll wear your armour,” Shirou says, turning around to face the stewardess and sticking his right hand into his bag. “You can alter its size, right?”  
  
“I see. I might have to hold on very tightly but beyond that I have no objections, Shirou-san,” Lancer replies. With that, Shirou nods and turns on his magic circuits.  
  
“Trace, on.”  
  
A small flash of red followed by a prick of pain that he shoves aside. He rips his hand free and in it is a ghastly blue dagger. He steps forward and in a blink of an eye the dagger is at the stewardess’ throat.  
  
“I’m sorry. We’re getting off this plane.” Shirou states in slightly halting English. “Right now.”  
  
“…?!”  
  
And then the first person screams.  
  
“Hijacker!”  
  
With that, all hell breaks lose. The stewardess backs away in fright as the passengers around the duo begin screaming in panic. Taking advantage of the sudden chaos, Shirou dashes forward towards the nearest emergency exit, dismissing the dagger as he does so.  
  
“Lancer, open the door,” he commands calmly, his voice barely audible over the pandemonium. Shirou moves to the side as the Servant ducks under the lower ceiling next to the door.  
  
“The difference in air pressure, Shirou-san,” Lancer notes as he works with the mechanisms on the door. He does not need to clarify what he means, as he knows that his companion next to him is well aware of the dangers of their act.  
  
“On it. Trace on. Estimate blade length. Roll out, bullet, clear.”  
  
A flash of red and a dozen broad and tall blades appear right in front of the two, embedding themselves snugly between the top and bottom of the corridor and drawing an arc around the door.  
  
As soon as they materialise, Shirou staggers backwards and leans on the door as he breathes heavily.  
  
“I’m done unlocking—Shirou-san? Are you alright?”  
  
“It gets worse every time, but I’ll live,” he groans. “This should last long enough for you to close the door again after this. Trace on, reinforcing body durability. Summon the armour Lancer, I’m ready.”  
  
A flick of his wrist, and the black armour appears on Shirou, fitting him snugly. Lancer turns away and puts his hand on the emergency lever. Under normal conditions, a normal person would not be able to open the emergency exit due to the difference in pressure in and outside of the cabin. However, for Lancer this takes just a single push.  
  
“…!”  
  
The door opens, and Shirou is flung out like a rag doll. Lancer fares slightly better despite being taken by surprise, managing to slam the door close before barreling away from the plane and into Shirou.  
  
“Mmmph!” Shirou protests as what feels like a wrecking ball slams into him. They roll around a bit longer before Shirou manages to stand upright again.  
  
“Shirou-san, just imagine yourself moving really quickly. The armour will do the rest,” Lancer says, grabbing Shirou's shoulder tightly and repositioning himself next to him.  
  
“Right, let’s hurry. Try to conserve as much Grain from now on as you can Lancer. I don’t know what’s going on in Fuyuki,” Shirou says darkly as he begins to accelerate. “But I think we’re going to need every last drop of our reserves.”  
  


* * *

 

  
  
  
  
As you are finishing up, you notice that the skies have started to grow dark.  
  
“…oh? It’s going to rain?” you wonder to yourself as you savour every jolt of pleasure you are feeling. You sigh and reluctantly pull up your pants, realising that you’ve reached your limit already. The girl under you scoffs, her defiant attitude unchanging even after being subjected to your brand of punishment.  
  
“You disgust me, Matou,” she says venomously. You notice dimly in your post-coital bliss that she hasn’t bled out yet. Oh well, it isn’t your problem anyway.  
  
“Come now Tohsaka. At least admit I gave you the greatest pleasures you’ve ever felt,” you lean down and whisper into her ear, eliciting a cringe from your target. “Forget Emiya and come with me. I’ll drown you in pl—”  
  
“I pity you, really.”  
  
“…ha?”  
  
You stumble off he and slowly stand up. Tohsaka’s eyes gleam in the encroaching darkness, defiant as ever.  
  
“Are your ears as defective as your sexual organ, Matou? I pity you,” she states as she picks up her severed hand. “What have you achieved by doing this? You have no goal and no conviction. All you’re doing is stumbling from one fight to another. You only managed to win against me because of that Servant.”  
  
“…! What are you saying…?”  
  
“Didn’t you notice? There was a temporary anti-magecraft seal on you. If you didn’t realise that, you truly are hopeless. Let me give you one final warning, Matou. Leave while you can. You’re going to get killed if you carry on like this. I can’t even bring myself to hate you now that you’ve dug yourself into this hole. I can kill you right now and take revenge for what you've just done, but I won’t because the fate that awaits you is that much worse,” she says bluntly. As if to hammer one last nail into your coffin, she adds spitefully, “And it’s sad that even your _tool_ is that weak. Did Grandpa replace it with a baby worm?”  
  
  
  
“You…!”  
  
You stomp over but she is already up, deathly pale and leaning against a tree. The Gandr at her fingertip glows in warning.  
  
“You’re useless, just leave. I have more important things to do than dealing with you.”  
  
“I’m not useless! What do you mean by pitying me?! I’m Gilgamesh’s Master!” you snarl bitterly as you zip up your pants. “Rot here for all I care, Tohsaka. I’ll find that little girl and then you’ll see how horrifying I am!”  
  
A Gandr shot hits your right calf, eliciting a yelp. You limp straight out of the clearing as fast as you can.  
  
Having lost all interest in the ongoing battle in the forest and the War in general, you make your way back to the Matou residence miserably.  
  
  
  
“Me? Lose? I’ve done nothing wrong, Tohsaka! I’ve been ruthless like a magus should. At least I’m not like that useless little shit Emiya! Running away from the War just because he’s scared? Hah, even if I lose my Servant, I will continue fighting. I’m nothing like you weaklings!”  
  
  
  
“That’s right! I’m nothing like you! I’m the Matou heir! How dare you pity me… _how dare you pity me!_ You bitch, I dominated you and you dare to pity me? How does that even make sense…?!”  
  
  
  
Lost in your thoughts, you reach the Matou residence, wet and tired.  
  
You kick the front door open and slam it shut in fury. You stomp into the living room, slamming your fist against the light switch as you do so.  
  
“Even after all this! Even after all I’ve done…! Why is it always me?! Whatever have I done to deserve all this? Shits like you and Grandpa, always looking down on me!”  
  
**“Not really, no. I’m actually proud of you.”**  
  
You stiffen as you hear the bloodcurdlingly inhuman voice echo around you.  
  
And before you.  
  
Like a vampire returning from the dead.  
  
Countless familiars clump together to form a figure.  
  
You thought you would never see it again, but in front of you is proof that even the strongest Servant was unable to completely kill it.  
  
  
  
**“Good afternoon Shinji. It’s nice to see you’re still alive.”**  
  
  
**  
The curtain of the final arc rises, and the cast shall gather once more in the heart of Fuyuki. Multiple gambits and plans and ideals have all been hurled against one another in this mad scramble for victory. At the centre of all this stands Matou Shinji, powerless and unaware of the oncoming storm. When faced with the return of arguably the most deadly participant, you only have three options you can take. You will—  
  
1\. run. Run for your life and pray that you’ll reach Gilgamesh before you’re killed.  
2\. negotiate with Zouken, with the goal of joining his side. He’ll probably kill you if you don’t.  
3\. ask for a ceasefire and an exchange of information. As it stands, you still have Gilgamesh and therefore you still have leverage.  
  
Note: No option leads to a bad end. You won’t be able to return to this choice again, so please choose wisely.  
  
Additional choice! There will be two interludes again, so pick whichever you want to see first!  
1\. Gilgamesh vs Archer.  
2\. Red Saber vs Zouken**


	67. Day 11, ???

 

  
**Day 11  
** Zouken's Feel  
Near Side

**  
???**

 

  
  
  
_Their third meeting is one of destiny._  
  
_Their previous conversation had changed his view of the world, but he remained a depraved individual, and as such, fate crawled on in predictable ways._  
  
_A fort of blood, an ally of justice._  
  
_A hill, a holy building, a tainted man._  
  
_“You are fortunate. There is one Servant available.”_  
  
_With this, the tainted man indadvertedly seals his own fate, and sets off a miracle he will not live to see._  
  
_A figure materialises in front of the boy._  
  
_Red meets blue once more._  
  
_One curses the world for being far below her standards. The other curses the world for being far above his._  
  
_“I am Gilgamesh.”_  
  
_He remembers his conviction and his promise. There is no hesitation. His redemption begins._  
  
_“I am Matou Shinji. Help me destroy this world, my queen.”_


	68. Day 11, Interlude 11-1 And Yet, Those Hands Will Never Hold Anything...

_…darkness.  
  
Unyielding darkness. That is the only thing he knows and the only thing he understands. His warped mind had long since collapsed, long before his summoning. It wasn’t the atrocities he had committed in life that had cost him his sanity, nor was it his final stand against the Fifth Magician. He had become a broken man long before that. It was little wonder that when he offered himself to the Counter Force just before his death, there was no reply from the autonomous entity.  
  
Then why was he summoned as a Heroic Spirit? His broken mind can offer no response; such cognitive processes has long since faded from the man who defied the Kaleidoscope. All that matters to him now is to continue breathing, to continue living. To continue on his bloody path to destroy all the evils of the world, by becoming all the evils of the world.  
  
That was why he listened to the voice in his head. A black dagger had stabbed cleanly through his heart, but he was not going to stop because of such a wound. He promised his father to become a hero, and he would defy even death to reach that goal. He hung onto life, even as his murderer and the priest left him to rot, just like he did back when he was alive, hanging onto life despite the black mud robbing him of his sanity.  
  
“Come, Servant. The priest has left, we can complete the contract now. To think he would discard such a useful tool though…or maybe his own Servant had deliberately left you alive? Bah, it doesn’t matter anymore. His loss is my gain.”  
  
He hears the voice speak to him again. Language no longer means anything to him, but the voice compels him to reach out with a trembling arm. A flash of red penetrates his murky vision, and he suddenly gains a new anchor to the world.  
  
“—ah, you’ve already been corrupted by it. That saves me the need to use the girl then. I'll just anchor you directly to it.”  
  
The prana from the newly formed connection with the being in front of him closes his wounds. Just as he is about to stand up, he feels a sharp sting from his heart. The feeling leaves him as quickly as it begins, and in mere seconds he is completely healed.  
  
“And there, now we’re ready. Let’s see what you can do, my Servant. There’s been a bug buzzing around my property and I want her gone.”  
  
He doesn’t understand what is being said to him, but he can feel the bloodlust leaking from his Master. It is all too familiar a feeling for him, and his lips curl into a cruel smile. Time to get to work.  
_  
  
  


 

 

  
**Day 11  
Zouken's Feel  
Near Side**

**_  
Interlude 11-1  
And Yet, Those Hands Will Never Hold Anything...  
_  
**

  
  
  
  
  
  
The black sun hanging in the cavern is very disturbing to her. As both an artist and a connoisseur of art, she feels quite disgusted by its very existence. But the most frustrating thing for her is…  
  
  
  
“Aaaaah! Why is Shirou making me stand guard here? I’m missing out on all the fun!” she complains to herself loudly, kicking a pebble as she does so. The pebble blasts across the cavern into a large boulder, cracking it in half. “That Prana Burst ability is great in battle, but it’s not like I can even use it here…!”  
  
Ever since her summoning, her Praetor has been abusing her ability, Imperial Privilege, to the very maximum. From stealing Rider’s Monstrous Strength to “borrowing” their ally Lancer’s Prana Burst, they have annoyed every Servant they’ve come across with it. The ability itself, however, only grants her such powers temporarily, as seen by Monstrous Strength fading away from her repertoire just a few days earlier. More importantly to Saber though is how it is being wasted at the moment.  
  
“Shiiiiiiiiiirou!” Saber whines, stomping around in a mini-tantrum. “Umu, he’s such a useless mage! I can’t even call him through our connection!”  
  
She kicks at another pebble on the ground, this time sending the prana-boosted projectile straight into the black mud in the centre of the cavern. It disappears into the entity soundlessly. Saber turns around and stomps over to the boulder she had cracked in half, sitting down on one side of it in a huff.  
  
“This is so boring! Why can’t anyone pay me a visit?” she continues to whine, kicking the ground petulantly. And then, as if a switch is flicked off inside her, she stiffens up and glares at the entrance to the cavern.  
  
“…apart from you, that is. Go away, old man.”  
  
  
  
Calling the entity an old man was proof that she was in a pretty good mood despite her complaints. If she had been truly angry, there were many other words she could use to describe the thing standing at the entrance. However, whatever good mood she had vanishes at the sight of the intruders.  
  
“My my, only now do you notice me, Servant?” he tuts dramatically. “And here I thought the Emiya scion had summoned a powerful Heroic Spirit.”  
  
Saber twirls her sword around before slamming it into the ground. “Would _you_ spare the effort to kill an insect, old man? I always knew you were here. I thought you would appreciate the privilege of watching a performance as exclusive as this.”  
  
“Hoh? Then why are you so serious now?” Zouken chuckles and taps his cane twice. “Could it be…?”  
  
“You should tell your Servant to hide better,” Saber says casually as she leaps up from her seat—  
  
  
  
  
—and swings her sword effortlessly at the black blade sent towards her head. A grimace uncharacteristically finds its way onto her face.  
  
“Assuming he can even understand you, that is,” Saber mutters disgustedly. She walks over to the black sword and steps on it, reducing it to bits of prana. “What have you done, magus?”  
  
“What have I done?” Zouken’s grin stretches even wider. “No no no, the question you should be asking is ‘What has the priest done’, Servant Saber. I merely borrowed and patched up his failed project.”  
  
“No, you did more than that,” Saber says, walking cautiously towards the ancient magus. “You—”  
  
  
  
This time, the sword is blood-red. She recognises it immediately and leaps to the side, watching it crash harmlessly into the ground she was standing on.  
  
“Disgusting,” she mutters, slashing her sword through the imitation. “Even _he_ would never make it as crudely as this.”  
  
Zouken gives a throaty laugh before slithering forward into the cavern. “Please forgive me, Saber,” he drawls. “Some of us aren’t fortunate enough to receive legitimate Heroic Spirits. We have to make do with what we have.”  
  
“Make do?” Saber asks rhetorically, shaking her head. “No, you enhanced him with that black thing. His original self may not have been sane, but even that should be nowhere near what he is now.”  
  
She glances behind her, feeling her stomach crawl.  
  
  
  
“What an insult this is to my Praetor. I don’t mind you insulting me, but tainting his image with…this…”  
  
“Once again, please accept this old man’s apology. There was only so much I could do with a dying Servant.”  
  
Saber continues to turn her back on her foe even as she feels the arrow being pointed at her back. She paces forward confidently, her right hand tightly gripping the hilt of her red blade.  
  
“Come now Saber,” Zouken drawls. “I know your opponent is unsightly, but surely you can do this old man a favour and treat this fight seriously.”  
  
  
  
“I mean,” he continues gleefully. “Since your Master commanded you to protect this cavern, wouldn’t you be going against his will?”  
  
Almost as abruptly as she had started walking, she stops as she reaches within twenty paces of the ancient magus, her eyes showing no warmth even as she smiles in reply.  
  
“I _am_ taking this fight seriously. That’s why—”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“—I’m taking care of the most troublesome one first.”  
  
In a single instant, Saber slashes across Zouken and the entity following silently behind him, her Aestus Estus cleaving into them without any resistance.  
  
  
  
She leaps away from the projectile sent at her from the centre of the cavern, her eyes still focused on the dissipating black _thing_ behind Zouken. Right before her eyes, the balloon-shaped object melts into a black puddle. Then, as if taking some kind of cue, it slowly crawls towards her.  
  
“That was Prana Burst, wasn’t it? Splendid! Absolutely splendid!” Zouken cries in delight as his body reforms. “To think the Emiya scion would leave such an amazing present for me!”  
  
Saber grimaces, looking extremely disturbed for the first time since she was summoned to this world.  
  
“What is that thing?” she asks quietly, her eyes not leaving the black puddle for a single second even as her instincts tell her the Servant to her right has notched another sword in his bow. “That is no Servant.”  
  
“Aaaah, I was wondering when you would ask me!” Zouken grins maniacally. “Why, it doesn’t have a name per se, but I call it my Shadow. Think of it as my personal familiar in this War.”  
  
“Lies,” Saber grinds out, her right hand turning white as she grips her sword even tighter. “That thing is not a familiar. It’s disgusting.”  
  
“Now that’s just your opinion, Saber~” Zouken replies gleefully. “But since it’s been…neutralised…why not fight my Servant for now?”  
  
He taps his cane twice, and the black Servant sends yet another sword at her. This time, Saber takes a step back and catches the hilt of the sword in mid-air. Without hesitating, she throws the sword at Zouken, who calmly lets it pierce into him. She finally turns away from the puddle and narrows her eyes at the Servant.  
  
“This mad dog you revived…you are more depraved than I thought, magus.”  
  
“Come now, let’s not get so nasty,” Zouken says as he plucks the dissipating sword out of his body. “I’m only as depraved as the next magus.”  
  
“I’ll deal with you and that thing after this,” Saber declares, her mood worsening by the second. “Très Fontaine Ardent, Très Fontaine Tempestes.”  
  
“Oh? Strengthening moves? Interesting, interesting,” Zouken says as he taps his cane. “Assassin, show her what you can do.”  
  
**“I aM tHE BoNe oF MY SwOrd…!”**  
  
The Servant howls incoherently before dashing straight at Saber, twin blades forming in his hands. As her readies her sword, she takes one glance at Zouken and confirms he is no longer paying attention to her.  
  
_“Invictus Spiritus.”_  
  
A moment later, and both Servants exchange heavy blows, Servant Assassin supplementing his lack of power and speed with sheer unpredictability and madness, and Saber gracefully sending slash after slash aimed at his head. The black and white scimitars move as one even with a deranged user, their blows somehow still flowing ever swiftly despite such peculiar circumstances.  
  
**“uNKNowN TO dEAth, nOR kNOwn to LIFE…!”**  
  
Each slash from the scimitar is a reckless one, stretching the mad Servant beyond what he would normally do in a battle against a Servant. There is no strategy, only non-stop attacks aimed to suppress the opponent.  
  
Saber, on the other hand, is forced to fight defensively. While she can recognise plenty of holes in every attack, she is unable to counterattack without taking a blow from the other scimitar in her opponent’s hand. And what’s more—  
  
  
  
She is both faster and more powerful than her counterpart, but his madness has made reading his moves nearly impossible. Every attack he sends at her is unpredictable, unreasonable and utterly illogical. Perhaps if she had a more powerful Master, she would be able to fare better. But under the conditions in the battle, if she dares to counterattack carelessly, she could be struck down by a random move.  
  
And that is why she took the risk of activating her special move in front of Zouken. If all else fails, she could take a hit and strike down her opponent in return. Then—  
  
A downward slash from the black blade. She swerves to her right, dragging her sword just enough to nudge it away from her. Then, she sends a burst of prana up her arms, propelling her sword straight at the white scimitar and breaking it by sheer brute force. She grins, bringing her sword back to her side, watching her opponent stumble back and leaving her a small opening to—  
  
“Rosa Ichthys!”  
  
She slides across the left side of her opponent, her sword poised to cleave him in half. It is a basic move, but enough to finish off a Servant who was never talented in close combat.  
  
But her sword stops halfway through its slash, its blade embedded only halfway in Servant Assassin.  
  
“…what?”  
  
Then as if a matter of course, the corrupted Servant grabs onto her sword with his free hand. And in a single swift move, stabs the black scimitar in his other hand into her back.  
  
“…! Urk!”  
  
Saber stumbles onto the ground, her face contorted in pain.  
  
“Ah, my granddaughter reported that you were more flamboyant than this, Saber. Something about monologues and Roman art. A shame you aren’t in the mood today,” Zouken notes while grinning savagely. “Oh, did I forget to mention? This Servant may have E-rank parameters across the board, but some good old Mad Enhancement can fix that easily.”  
  
“—how…?”  
  
“I’m Matou Zouken, Saber. I’d be rather ashamed of myself if I couldn’t do something as simple as that. Besides, his innards are actually quite sturdy. Almost sword-like if you ask me,” Zouken drawls. He taps his cane twice, and Assassin stabs a dark blue sword into Saber. “But I’m disappointed in you Saber. I thought the strongest class would be well, stronger. Hmm, maybe you’ve underestimated him too much.”  
  
Zouken walks over to Saber and prods her with his cane. “Oh well, not like I can complain about getting another Servant. You’re not as powerful as I thought, but it’s better than nothing.”  
  
He turns around and waves a hand at Assassin. “Come along, we have work to do. We’ll just let the Shadow—”  
  
“—thunderous applause—”  
  
“Did you say something, Assassin?”  
  
  
  
“?! What in the—”  
  
“—my golden theatre, my heaven!”  
  
Zouken turns around in panic and shouts at Assassin, “Use your Reality Marble, she’s not dead y—”  
  
**“—UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS—”**  
  
“—Aestus Domus Aurea!”  
  
Fire doesn’t run across the cavern floor. The inner world of a man lost to insanity never stood a chance. Instead, more and more rose petals fall as the cavern walls melt away to form regal balconies and drapes. And right before Zouken’s eyes—  
  
  
  
—a miracle is created.  
  
In the centre of it all stands Saber, her red dress now torn and dishevelled, but her body full of vigour.  
  
“A reality marble? No, this is something else…!” Zouken mutters in fascination. “You…managed to override the formation of a Reality Marble with this? Then…!”  
  
He shakes his head and laughs delightedly, his raspy laugh echoing throughout the theatre. “Hohohoho! To think that you would possess a revival skill and _this_! This is far beyond my expectations, Saber! Assassin, I command you to use you most powerful attack! Let’s see what this theatre does!”  
  
  
  
  
A spiral sword appears in Assassin’s hand, and he notches it onto his bow. But as quickly as it is formed, it dissipates into bits of prana with a single glance from Saber.  
  
“Total control over everything in this world? No, not that powerful…but close enough,” Zouken guesses as he laughs heartily. “Amazing! I take back everything I said about you, Saber! You are worthy of becoming my trump card!”  
  
“Trump card? Too late!” Saber shouts as she leaps up. With a graceful strike downwards, she cleaves Zouken into two before splitting him again with a horizontal slash. “Laus Saint Claudius!”  
  
The bits of Zouken whirl away from Saber, flinging themselves as far away from has as possible. This time, as he reforms, he takes longer than usual. And as he fully reforms, his posture is straightened and on guard. “Your theatre…it’s sapping at my prana. I see now, this is truly something that can rival even that Blackmore’s Reality Marble…!”  
  
“You’ll run out of energy soon enough!” Saber declares confidently. “Once I get rid of you…”  
  
“Ah, there’s no doubt you can kill me,” Zouken replies gravely. “Not even that golden Servant will have it easy if he stays too long in here.”  
  
He taps his cane twice, and Assassin appears, standing in front of him with his twin falchions in a defensive stance.  
  
“The _real_ question here Saber,” he says, his lips curling into a mad grin. “Is if you can kill me before it corrupts you completely.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Why, just look at your arm,” Zouken nodded to her, his eyes gleaming in anticipation.  
  
Saber looks down, and for the first time since her summoning, she is truly afraid.  
  
  
  
Her Aestus Estus, once a proud red and black sword, had turned completely pitch-black. And on her right arm…  
  
“Don’t tell me, it was during that time…!”  
  
“Yes, that’s right. When you attacked the Shadow,” Zouken grinned. “That was when it attached itself onto your sword. After that, all I needed to do was to wait it out until it fully corrupted you. But I must say, this Noble Phantasm of yours is suppressing its influence pretty well.”  
  
Saber reflexively lets go of her sword, but the shadowy tendrils still snake slowly up her dress. She drops her blackened right hand to the side in shock, her green eyes searching for something that could stop the corruption.  
  
“Normally, Servants should be corrupted pretty quickly, so they don’t have to live with knowing they’ll be my pawn for that long. But eh, I never expected you to have such a Noble Phantasm,” Zouken says in a casual tone, his voice flippant in the face of his opponent’s shock. “I would say I’m sorry, but we both know I wouldn’t really mean it. This is what you get for making me lose so much prana.”  
  
Saber rips her sleeve apart and throws it to the ground, but she is only greeted with the sight of her blackened arm and a solitary snaking tendril slithering up her shoulder and towards her chest—  
  
“Oh, you can certainly resist it with your Noble Phantasm I suppose. It’s just that...” Zouken continues in glee, his grin growing wider and wider as he watches Saber panic more and more. “Well, your Noble Phantasm won’t last forever. If I were you, I’d just stop struggling.”  
  
Saber looks up at Zouken, but there is no malice in her eyes. Instead, there is an unmistakable sadness that surprises even Zouken.  
  
“…I see. Then I have failed Pra—Shirou again,” she says quietly as she walks over to her blade and grips it with her left arm. The shadowy tendrils on the blade immediately stick onto her. “I wish I could enjoy more of these peaceful days with him…but I guess all things must come to an end. I should not have any regrets.”  
  
She picks up Aestus Estus and raises it to her neck.  
  
“Trying to end it yourself? Don’t bother, I can still use your corpse as my puppet,” Zouken says as he walks out from behind Assassin, his face grim. “Two seconds should be more than enough for me to anchor you to this world.”  
  
“No, you won’t,” Saber smiles back serenely. “I forbid you to do so.”  
  
  
  
And with one final confident nod and an unbidden tear, she slits her throat with her blade.  
  
“Shit, don’t let the body dissipate! Assassin!” Zouken snarls in panic.  
  
But Assassin cannot move. The final decree from the Emperor restrains him to the point that he can only take a few hesitant steps. And in those few seconds, the golden theatre and its proud owner fade into nothing.  
  
The magus, Servant and Shadow return to the cavern, and for a moment, all is silent.  
  
Then, Zouken screeches in anger and snaps his cane in half.  
  
“Why is your Magical Resistance so shit,” he whirls around and glowers at Assassin. He snaps his fingers and Assassin’s slices his own right arm off, eliciting a painful yowl from the mad Servant. “You weakling, if you weren’t the only option I had, I would’ve spat on your corpse. Hell, I’d personally kill you and spit on you right now.  
  
“You just cost me a Saber! A Saber that could revive itself and summon a fake Reality Marble! Do you know how rare that is? She is worth thousands of you, you filth!”  
  
He snaps his fingers again, and Assassin stabs himself in his left calf with a spiral sword. Another snap, and the spiral sword explodes, dealing severe damage to Assassin and leaving him immobile on the ground. Zouken wrinkles his nose at the smell of the burnt body and turns away.  
  
“Tch, I tire of this foolishness. We’re done here. Fix yourself up and report to me tonight. I need to pay my grandson a visit.”  
  
He taps his cane three times, and the Shadow slithers after him, leaving only a half-dead Servant in a cavern no longer graced by the Emperor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WISEUP!!


End file.
